Across the Worlds
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: A rewrite of my old story "Two of a Kind". When a plucky Bant battlemage named Morrel meets a rogue Planeswalker girl from Kamigawa, they both embark on a quest to cure her curse... until they cross paths with another crazed Planeswalker whose ambitions threaten to destroy everything they'll ever know.
1. Stranger in a Familiar Land

**Across the Worlds**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 1: Stranger in a Familiar Land**

Morrel already saw the dark column of smoke rising from behind a hill ahead by the time a royal messenger sprinted to his squad.

"Altha town! It's under -" the messenger panted, resting his hands on his knees to keep himself upright.

18-year-old Morrel frowned grimly and balled his hands into fists. White, blue, and green mana curled from the skin and radiated around him in an aura. "Ready?" he asked the squad leader.

Yerkel, a rhox monk, nodded and blinked his small, dark eyes. "Squad, moved out!" he barked in his deep voice.

"I guess this patrol got a lot more interesting, huh?" Morrel commented to his friend as the squad hurried over the grassy hill, trampling the red and blue flowers as they went. The smell of burning wood filled Morrel's nostrils.

Yerkel grunted. "I seem to recall _someone_ wishing that we'd get some action around here..."

Morrel winced. "How was I supposed to know?" His white cloak billowed behind him, Bant's sunlight glinting off his glasses.

"Relax," Yerkel said with a gravely chuckle. "To be honest, I've been looking forward to a little exercise, too." The rhino-man's small ears flattened. "As long as it's not at someone else's expense," he added to himself.

When Morrel mounted the hill with the others, he saw Yerkel's point.

Altha town, a major supply point to Akrasa kingdom's army, was nearly hidden in a sheet of flames and smoke. Townsfolk and horses fled the scene, while other figures charged right in, shouting in glee. Morrel knew at once who they were.

Raiders from Jund. Again.

"What's the call, squad leader?" another battlemage asked.

Yerkel studied the scene for a second. "Attack pattern bravo-three," he said. "Go!"

At once, three mages raced town the town's east edge, moving in a half-circle toward the town's center. Meanwhile, Morrel and two other mages did the same at the west edge. Yerkel thundered right to the town's center as the attack's anvil.

Rhoxes...

Morrel coughed and covered his mouth with his cloak's sleeve, his eyes stinging from the heat and smoke. He ducked as a shop next to him lost integrity and collapsed in a shower of timbers and sparks.

"They've never gotten this close to the castle before!" another battlemage commented.

"I thought the guys from Esper would have slowed them down, or diverted them," Morrel said.

"Can't count on those metal freaks to do anything right," the third battlemage said bitterly. "Come on!"

Morrel rounded the corner and beheld four brawny Jund warriors, all carrying stone-tipped clubs decorated with red and green symbols. Bones and skulls, maybe trophies, hung from the warriors' necklaces and neck braces, their leather armor scratched and pitted from earlier battles. Behind them, a fifth warrior pulled up on his mount, an elephant-sized beetle with bloody spines on its legs and head.

The warriors paused for a second, surprised by the newcomers. Then they raised their weapons and charged.

Morrel dropped into a combat stance and held his hands out, palms facing the incoming Jund raiders. His blond hair was ruffled as blue and white mana gathered before him into a wide, round shield -

Blue and white sparks blasted into the air as a Jund warrior brought his club down on Morrel's shield. The barrier sputtered and wavered under the pressure, and that was when Morrel saw the red, green, and black mana coursing along the club's length. _It's enchanted!_

Morrel rolled to the side just as the warrior's club shattered the barrier and slammed into the dirt road. Nearby, the other battlemages clashed with the other warrior's enchanted clubs.

"Okay, so you're tougher than the last Jund bastard I fought," Morrel taunted, standing to his full height. He tried not to show his apprehension. "Now I'll get serious."

The Jund raider laughed and wrenched his ax free. "So will I!"

Again, the warrior charged. This time, Morrel sent blue-green mana coursing through his every nerve. Time slowed down around him, every movement around him as though underwater. His own breathing sounded loud, his heart like some massive Naya war drum.

Morrel was already moving when the Jund raider swung his ax down, its enchantments letting out a dull roar. As he slid into position, Morrel drew a knife from his belt and sank it deep into the raider's liver.

Time snapped back to normal as the blow struck, and every movement and sound seemed fast and intense to Morrel's senses. He felt a sudden weariness drag him down, his mind fuzzy.

 _Maybe I held onto the time dilation too long._ Morrel wrenched his knife free and stepped back, watching as the Jund warrior gasped in shock, blood seeping onto his chest. With a final grimace, the warrior sprawled face-down onto the dirt.

Another Jund raider went down, and the last two backed up a few steps, their clubs held up defensively. Morrel regrouped with the other battlemages, already panting and sweating all over. The heat from the flaming buildings didn't help. "Ready?" Morrel asked.

Apparently, the last raider took that question to heart. The massive beetle screeched and lumbered over to Morrel's group, kicking aside flame-weakened buildings as it went. The insect's rider shouted a command and tugged on his reins.

The beetle parted its pincers and issued a long jet of flame right at Morrel's group.

Adrenaline spiked in Morrel's body and he leaped aside with the others just in time; the beetle's fire breath scorched a three-yard-wide crater into the town's main road, and Morrel doubted that his shield would have lasted long in that inferno.

 _So that's how these guys set the town on fire so fast!_ Morrel got to his feet and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, watching as the warriors and beetle advanced through the smoke -

Suddenly, one of the beetle's spiny front legs lashed out and caught a battlemage right in the stomach. Blood sprayed as the man was thrown through the air and crashed into another building. He was dead for sure, Morrel realized.

Shouting, the two non-mounted warriors charged again. Morrel threw up his shield again like the other battlemage, but he winced as the warriors' enchanted clubs wore away at the barrier. Morrel felt his mana draining as he fought to keep the shield up.

Morrel's barrier broke again and he hastily backed away as a warrior stalked toward him, a fierce grin on his painted face. "Your little tricks won't save you, boy," the warrior said with a leer.

Morrel raised his arms in preparation for last-ditch time dilation, but everyone paused when blue-white spells flashed through the air from the town's east side. The two warriors stumbled as stunning spells slammed into them, their clubs' enchantments sputtering and fading.

Through the smoke and eerie red light emerged Yerkel with the rest of the squad. "You're late, Morrel!" Yerkel called out. "The plan -"

"Yeah, I know," Morrel said apologetically. Normally, the two squads would do a pincer maneuver to pin the Jund warriors together, and Yerkel would deal the final blow.

Oh, well.

Taking his chance, Morrel raised his knife and slashed it across his opponent's chest. The warrior grimaced, then hastily swung his mundane club. The weapon caught Morrel in the stomach and he tumbled back, gasping for breath, his lower ribs aching horribly. _Damn it!_

Just as the warrior advanced for the kill, Morrel surged his white-green mana through his muscles and dodged the warrior's next club attack. Then, his right fist sank into the warrior's chest wound. The warrior jerked, then went slack at last.

Yerkel, meanwhile, helped corner the last warrior and demolished him with an open-palm strike. But there was more.

Screeching in fury, the massive beetle stomped forward and issued another jet of flame, vaporizing a battlemage on the spot. Only a charred crater was left of him.

Yerkel dodged one of the beetle's stomping legs and delivered a mighty kick. Chitin crunched under the pressure and the beetle recoiled, but Yerkel's blow only seemed to make it angrier. The huge creature swatted him aside, and the rhox tumbled across the town street.

"No!" Morrel hurried over to help, but one of the beetle's legs stomped right before him, and the sheer power knocked him flat onto his back. Terror seized his mind as the beetle towered over him, lifting a foot to finish him off-

A new figure leaped into the air, one with an intense aura of black mana. Morrel squinted through the haze of smoke and reddish light. _Who -_

The mounted beetle shrieked as the new figure swept its left arm through the air, severing its leg at the joint.

Morrel rolled over and got to his feet, numb with shock. He watched as the figure nimbly sprang away from the beetle's counter-attack, then it vaulted high into the air. Black mana gathered around the person's left pointing finger in an intense ball.

The very air shuddered as the person released a powerful cone of black mana that vaporized the beetle's head. The headless body collapsed to the ground in a thud, and a second later, the new figure tore apart the beetle's rider with a slash.

Morrel stood there, numb with shock, until he shook himself clear and hurried past the newcomer. For now. "Yerkel!"

"I'm fine!" The rhox heaved himself onto his feet, brushing off his monk robes. "Who was that?"

"Good question." Morrel turned around, and he, Yerkel, and the other survivors approached the newcomer.

It was a girl Morrel's age, and she looked nothing like a Bant native.

"Hey, now!" The girl raised her left arm to defend herself. Her entire arm was scaly and black, the fingernails like long, white claws. "Don't try anything funny."

"We're not!" Morrel assured her. He gestured with his open palms, and the others relaxed. "We're grateful, actually. Didn't even know you were going to help."

The girl shrugged. "I saw my chance and took it. At least you mages cleared up the foot warriors first."

A hundred questions swirled in Morrel's mind, but he knew that they'd have to wait. "Look, you're not from around here, are you?" _Is she a fugitive from another shard-world? Maybe Grixis, by the looks of her arm..._

"Well... no," the girl admitted. "What's it to you?"

Yerkel cleared his throat. "You're on Akrasa kingdom land," he told the girl. "Subject to detainment and questioning until we're certain that you're not a -"

"I killed that damned beetle for you, okay?" the girl snapped. "What else d'you want?" Angry black mana hummed on her black left arm.

"Look, we're just being safe," Morrel told her. Somehow, the Jund warriors didn't seem so scary now. "Around here, we're careful with people we don't know, especially during this chaotic war with the other shard-worlds. Are you from one of them?"

"If you're gonna question me, can we do it somewhere else?" the girl demanded. looking around. "This town's toast."

Morrel sighed. "Okay. Come with us to the castle."


	2. New Worlds

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 2: New Worlds**

"So... Morrel here tells me that you saved his life."

One of King Ledram's agents wandered in tight circles around the confined room, high in one of Akrasa castle's turrets. The woman wore a white cloak like Morrel's, but unlike him, she had four gold sigils on her blue-green under-robes, medals of honor. Outside the windows, aven soldiers swooped on passing winds. Sunlight poured through the narrow windows.

The intruder girl sat in a simple wooden chair in the room's center, while Morrel stood by the shut wooden door, arms folded. The girl's arm had reverted to normal on the way here, her black mana aura gone. She wore a sleeveless white shirt, knee-length white pants, and was barefoot.

The agent waited a second before prompting the girl, "Why did you save Morrel's life?"

The girl pouted. "I just happened to save him. I was trying to fight my way out of town."

"The Jund raiding party?" the agent prodded.

"Yeah. Them. Taking them all on at once woulda been risky, so I let Mr. Morrel and his friends thin them out first." The girl gave Morrel a funny look, but it was hardly gratitude.

The agent narrowed her eyes. "A way out of town, you say? That begs the question of why you were in an Akrasa kingdom town in the first place. From where did you come?"

The girl sat in surly silence, avoiding Morrel's eyes. Where _did_ she come from? Her black, messy hair, narrow and cunning eyes, and high cheekbones made her unlike the town girls Morrel had seen before. And that arm!

The agent slapped a hand onto the back of the girl's chair. "Answer me!"

The girl grunted. "You wouldn't believe me."

"No?"

"No."

"You -"

Morrel stepped forward, unfolding his arms. "Can you at least tell me your name?"

The girl finally looked Morrel in the eyes. "Mizuki."

"Huh?"

Mizuki sighed. "It means 'beautiful moon' where I come from."

"Which is where?" Morrel asked. _And how does a rogue like you have a gentle name like that?_

Mizuki glanced away, an annoyed look on her face. "Kamigawa. There, I said it. Not that it does you any good."

Both Morrel and the agent exchanged looks. _Kamigawa?_ Morrel decided that Mizuki was responding better to him than the agent, maybe because they fought together. "Is that far from here?"

"You couldn't go there anyway," Mizuki said dismissively. "The Spark is so rare, I doubt you have it."

"The what?"

"Look, this isn't doing us any good," Mizuki said, standing up suddenly. "Can you just say that I'm not a threat, and I can go?"

Something in Mizuki's tone told Morrel that Mizuki was hiding something. Was she humoring him? "Please stay for a bit. We can get along, you know. We fought well together."

"I told you, it wasn't for you!" Mizuki said impatiently. "That part just worked out, okay?"

"Sit down," the agent snapped, clapping a hand roughly to Mizuki's shoulder. "You may not leave until -"

Suddenly, Mizuki's mana aura flared up, her left arm scaly and black like before, her fingernails growing into claws. "Don't touch me!"

The agent clearly had had enough. She jolted Mizuki with a white-blue spell, and Mizuki collapsed in a stunned heap.

"Hey!" Morrel hurried over, kneeling by Mizuki. She was totally out.

"Intolerable behavior," the agent said sternly. "We should put her in a cell until she -"

"Let me take care of it," Morrel offered.

The agent tensed. "Begging your pardon?"

"She seems to, well, like me a bit more," Morrel said bracingly. "Maybe she doesn't trust figures of authority like you, but rather prefers fighters like me. I'll keep her in my private quarters until she wakes up, and I'll take care of things."

The agent thought it over. "Very well. But I'm enchanting your room, just in case."

 _She might lash out after realizing that she's trapped,_ Morrel thought, but it was no good to argue. "Okay. Thanks."

*o*o*o*o*

"Oh, you're awake."

Morrel sat on a wooden stool next to his bed, watching as Mizuki stirred. It was late evening by now. An oil lamp on the ceiling lit the whole room while crickets chirped outside.

Mizuki bolted upright, her eyes wide with alarm. "What the hell - what did you do?"

"Hold on!" Morrel gently took Mizuki's shoulders in his hands. "I didn't do anything. King Ledram's agent stunned you, just as a precaution."

Mizuki tensed when Morrel touched her, but didn't seem ready to attack, either. "That bitch put a spell on me?"

"Well, there's a war on, you know..." Morrel explained the "maelstrom war," as some called it, and the danger Bant faced from the other shard worlds like Grixis and Jund. "... so we're not taking many chances around here," Morrel summarized. "The Eos kingdom already fell to Grixis necromancers, and Jhess may be next. Akrasa may be our last hope after that."

Mizuki sighed and sat against the wall as Morrel let go of her. She ran her hands over her face. "Just great. I got tangled up in some war. I've seen a few other intruders around, but I didn't think..." She glared at Morrel. "Am I your prisoner?"

Morrel hesitated. If he said yes, Mizuki might try to fight her way free, and could be strong enough to break this room's enchantments. But then again, he couldn't guarantee that "no" was accurate, either.

Unless...

"I don't think you're a prisoner," Morrel said carefully. "You're tough, I can see that. But not a real threat to Akrasa kingdom. Right?"

Mizuki nodded, her expression guarded. "I guess."

"Then can you tell me what you were doing in that town, and on Bant in general?"

"I..." Mizuki drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Like I said, I was born on Kamigawa, a world some ways from here. But I've been to other worlds, too, trying to get stronger, learn new secrets. Bant's my latest stop."

Morrel gawked at Mizuki, his mind reeling. _Other worlds... by the angels!_ "How is this possible? I've never heard of anyone who can -"

"I'm a planeswalker." Something resembling pride sparked in Mizuki's dark, inscrutable eyes. "That's what they call it when someone's born with a Spark in them, and that Spark goes off. You find yourself on new worlds, and walking in the Aether between them."

"Angels protect me," Morrel muttered. He sat back, staring at the wall behind Mizuki. He had heard rumors of powerful strangers appearing and disappearing during the maelstrom war, and even in the weeks leading up to that. Like a gold-furred, lion-headed man with a double ax, and a cunning man from Esper with a metal arm, among others.

Morrel suddenly felt tiny, lost in a sea of madness. And not like before, when he had seen hordes of Jund and Grixis beasts swarming over the countryside, burning and slaughtering...

Mizuki grunted. "Got anything to eat? I'm famished."

"What..." Morrel blinked. "Just a moment! You have to tell me more! Those other strangers... planeswalkers? Are they a serious threat to Akrasa? Do they also come from Kamigawa, or somewhere else entirely?"

Mizuki yawned. "Dinner. There's gotta be food around here. Then we can talk a bit more."

Morrel sighed. _Better not push her. At least she's calmed down a bit._ "Okay. I'll send for someone. Be right back."

*o*o*o*o*

"Now _that_ was good." Mizuki set down her empty ale mug on her plate, still sitting on Morrel's bed.

"Mmmmmmm." Morrel hadn't fet very hungry, not with that uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, and the questions burning in his mind. He pushed away his plate. "So... what brought you to that town? Espionage?"

Mizuki laughed. "Don't kid yourself. I answer to no one! I was looking for good food and medicine. But hey, getting captured got me fed anyway. Irony, huh?" Finally, a faint grin crossed her face.

"Yeah, sure." Morrel swallowed. "I don't have any influence in the royal court. If King Ledram wants you sent away, or worse, imprisoned, I can't stop him."

"Let me see him try."

"That's not the point!" Morrel yelped, then took a deep breath. "Okay, look... soldiers of the king can earn sigils for great feats of valor and justice. I don't have one yet, but maybe I can earn one. By helping you."

Mizuki froze. "Huh?"

Morrel pointed at Mizuki's left arm. "I can tell you're in pain. That arm... it had a nasty aura to it. And I can tell that you don't like this loneliness as much as you'd want me to believe." His expression softened. "That standoffish attitude doesn't fool me."

"Why do _you_ care?" Mizuki spat. "I'm a stranger. I don't think you Bantians like outsiders much."

"Honestly... I think I've been waiting for something like this," Morrel said, realizing it himself as he spoke. His heart raced with nervous excitement. "I have yet to prove myself to the king, or even to my brother Raphael, who's a much better mage than I am, by the way. We Bantians pride ourselves on our selfless deeds and honor. Something seems very wrong in your life, Mizuki. What if I were to help somehow?"

"You..." Mizuki paused. "You really mean that, don't you?"

Morrel got to his feet. "I swear it. And I think you inwardly want the help, too. Even if you won't say it out loud."

Mizuki was quiet for a minute, looking down at her bare feet. Morrel let her think, the room unbearably still. Then -

"I'm not like most planeswalkers," Mizuki said, looking up. "My Spark was mutated when I got this curse." She held out her left arm. "Non-walkers can't survive the Aether. But I can make a bubble to bring along a guest like you. I did it once."

"Excellent! Then we can -"

"Hey." Mizuki also got to her feet and poked her left finger hard into Morrel's stomach. "You don't get it. The other worlds are dangerous. Not like anything you've seen here. My last passenger, he _died._ I can fight with you, but if you get yourself killed, that's on _you_."

Morrel stiffened. "Excuse me. I'm unproven, but not a child. I'll have you know that Bantians train in weapons and martial arts from the age of five onwards. I'm a fighter."

"Really." Mizuki tapped Morrel's stomach with the back of her hand. "You a tough guy? Wanna prove it? You seemed kinda wimpy to me, always hiding behind shields..."

"Fine!" Indignantly, Morrel shrugged off his cloak, then unbuttoned his blue tunic and tossed it away, too. He stood barechested. "There!"

Mizuki's face went a bit pink as she grinned. "Okay, you win. Not bad, by the way."

 _Angels protect me..._ Morrel winced when he realized how ridiculous the scene looked. Trying not to go red himself, Morrel scooped up his tunic and put it back on, then his cloak. He cleared his throat. "I believe I've made my point. What do you say? Can we start this mission?"

Still grinning, Mizuki nodded and sat on Morrel's bed. "In the morning. Where do I sleep?"

Morrel gestured. "The king will allow you to stay in here in my bunk, I'm sure. I'll have a guard set up -"

"A _guard_?" Mizuki scowled again.

"For everyone else's benefit," Morrel explained hastily. "I can use a communal bunk room. But I'll have to lock the door behind you. I've got a chamber pot under my desk." He swung open the door and stepped into the torch-lit hallway. "Be a good girl, okay?"

"Only if you do."

Sighing, Morrel shut the door, locked it, and shuffled down the hall.

*o*o*o*o*

In the heart of an upscale city crowded with artificers and their mechanical companions, a woman approached a red-headed man who stood on a clock tower's ledge.

"Sorry, Azrael," the woman said, her usual cocky grin absent. "I searched all over this plane for weeks, and nothing! There's no shard here." She ignored a fancy silver thopter, one of many, that zoomed by. The people of Kaladesh loved their toys.

"It's all right, Maretta," the man said, but Maretta knew that it wasn't really "all right" for him, not with the intense passion she knew that he was hiding.

The man had elbow-length hair and a regal face, and wore a leather studded vest over his tunic. He had simple trousers and buckled boots and a blue cape, as well as a gold pendant around his neck, a remainder from his now-destroyed home.

Maretta toyed with the deactivated mana whip on her belt. "What about Rohkan? He find anything?"

"He believes that he found a lead on Kamigawa," Azrael said, "and suggested that you look into it while he searches Innistrad."

"Ooooooh, really? That's generous of him!" Maretta said, beaming. "Means more fun for me."

Azrael nodded, turning his attention back to the city's bustle. "Reminds me of home."

Maretta knew that he was really talking to himself; he got snappy when she inquired about his actual home. By the scant details she had figured out by following him, she knew that it was a tough topic for him. But considering the power he was offering her... that was good enough.

"Guess I better go," Maretta said brightly, "before we lose that lead. Pretty exciting, isn't it? First piece we've found!"

"Probably found. But yes," Azrael admitted. "I've been waiting for this..."

"See you later, then!" In a flash of blue-white mana, Maretta was gone.


	3. Mingle

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 3: Mingle**

"I'm gonna miss you, little bro."

Raphael gave Morrel a quick hug in the Akrasa castle barracks early the next morning. The elder mage had blond hair like Morrel, but he wore it long in a ponytail and had two sigils on his green tunic.

"Yeah. Thanks," Morrel said, aware that some of the other mages in the barracks were watching. "Tell Father that I may be away for a while, but I'll come back a sigiled man."

Raphael chuckled. "Big words, Morrel. I guess I'll have to watch my back!"

Morrel tried not to roll his eyes. His brother Raphael, being five years older and gifted with an iron-hard mana aura, had proven himself to the king in record time, often leading counter-attacks against Grixis invasion parties. _Your flattery doesn't fool me, Raphael._

The brothers parted and Raphael gave the sunlit barracks a quick look. "It's getting nasty out there, Morrel. More than usual, I mean," he said after a few seconds. "This rogue girl of yours must be a tough one if you're her only escort."

Morrel hesitated; did he dare tell Raphael more than the vague details he had given earlier? No one on Bant, not even the prodigious knight Elspeth Tirel, knew about the "other worlds" like Kamigawa that Mizuki had mentioned. At least, not to Morrel's knowledge.

No. Raphael had enough to worry about.

And a part of Morrel wanted to keep the fun to himself. Why couldn't _he_ have some glory for a change? He'd see things Raphael could never dream of!

"Just tell Yerkel that I'll kick some ass out there," Morrel told Raphael, giving him a play-punch on the shoulder. "That'll keep him from worrying. He tries to coddle more me than _you_ do."

Raphael burst out laughing. "I'll do that. Angels watch over you, Morrel."

 _Where I'm going,_ Morrel thought grimly as he headed out the door, _I fear there may not even be angels!_

*o*o*o*o*

"Finally," Mizuki commented when Morrel joined her in his room. She stood by his desk, tapping a bare foot. "Did you say good-bye to everyone in this castle?"

Morrel made a face. "Just my brother. Yerkel, that rhox, is already away on a mission, apparently. And I'm sure _you'd_ take time to say goodbye to family."

A funny look flashed across Mizuki's eyes and was gone again. "Yeah, whatever. Close the door real quick. I don't want anyone to see this."

After Morrel shut the door, he swallowed. "What exactly is 'this'?"

As an answer, Mizuki closed her eyes and focused her black mana aura into etheral wisps around her. She held out her left arm. "Take my hand and hang on tight."

Morrel obeyed.

"This will take just a second," Mizuki said over the noise of her flaring mana aura. Morrel suddenly felt like he was being squeezed, his mind blotted out -

Morrel gasped for breath, his heart hammering in his chest, his whole body shaking. Sudden noise blasted in his ears, and something solid bumped past him.

"Whoa!" Morrel swayed on the spot, struggling to stay upright while his ears rang.

"Yeah, planeswalking can be rough for non-walkers," Mizuki said next to him. "Given how it's normally impossible..."

Morrel blinked in the light of a new sun. "Where... what..."

 _Kamigawa!_

Crowds of people in white and green robes filled the city street, chattering loudly as they went. Most of them had dark hair and the same narrow eyes as Mizuki, but a few weren't even human. Morrel gaped as a fox-headed man walked past, muttering something to himself. He wore exotic silver armor and a long, curved sword in a sheath on his belt. Nearby, Morrel saw three snake-people with green and yellow scales at a vendor, selling dried meats and herbs.

Morrel automatically backed up a few steps and plowed into something soft and rubbery. Alarmed, he whirled around.

"Watch it, human," the being snapped. It was like a bulky being Morrel's height, but was faceless and had colorful patterns on its semi-transparent skin. Several wispy orbs of blue light hovering around it.

"Uh... sorry," Morrel blurted.

The being turned away haughtily and slithered off down the crowded street.

"Mind your manners, Morrel," Mizuki said slyly, a cocky grin on her face. "This ain't Bant anymore."

"By the angels..." Morrel rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. "Where is this place?"

Mizuki gestured openly. "Welcome to Juka-no Nadachi. A cozy little city with lots of places to hide."

Morrel mouthed the bizarre name to himself as he gave the place another look. The wood and brick buildings had a simple but elegant construction to them, and their tall, peaked roofs had curving corners on their eaves. Instead of hinges, their thin doors slid aside and into the walls. Round lanterns and paper charms hung over the doorways.

"N-nice place," Morrel stammered, trying not to feel like Juka-no Nadachi was closing around him and crushing him. His throat felt tight as the reality of this gripped him. "I'm far from home, aren't I?"

Mizuki elbowed him. "Relax. Gonna wimp out already?"

"Wh-what are these beings?" Morrel said, pointing. "They..."

"You've got a rhino-man friend back home. How's this any different?"

Morrel felt a chill. "Good point. Can we walk?"

So, Mizuki led Morrel further down Juka-no Nadachi's streets, pointing things out as they went. "See those? The ones with orbs around them? They're kami. Nature spirits. Be polite to 'em."

Morrel gaped as he saw three fish-like creatures with long tendrils wriggled through the air. Nearby, a tall, skeletal tree-like being lumbered along. It also had those glowing orbs. "So, that colorful being I ran into earlier..."

"A kami."

"And that fox warrior?"

Mizuki made a face. "The kitsune, or fox-people. Their constant blabber of 'honor' and 'duty' is so annoying. But they make good samurai, I've heard."

"Samurai?"

"Knights. they have a complex code of conduct, the bushido. And look there, those snake guys? They're Orochi. Normally live in the Jukai Forest, but some come to the cities for business."

Mizuki was clearly enjoying herself, having the upper hand here. Morrel, for his part, just tried not to bump into anyone else. He was sure that he stood out, with his blond hair and glasses, and his mage cloak. The commoners here had a different, sleeveless type of robe and wore straw sandals. Some carried rods over their backs, each end with a basket of foodstuffs or hardware. They also wore thin white bandanas around their heads, tied at the back.

Morrel looked around. It was probably late afternoon, judging by the shadows. "Can we find an inn to stay for the night?"

"Where we're going, we'll need it," Mizuki said grimly. "Got any gold on you?"

Morrel checked his coin bag. "A few coins, and some silver pieces. How much have you got?"

"However much these people have."

Morrel winced. He should have figured. "Please don't pick any pockets while I'm with you. I'll pay for any services or food we need."

Mizuki slapped Morrel's shoulder. "Not everyone's got the cozy life like you, Morrel! Doesn't look like it now, but these can be mean streets. Wait 'til dark. You'll see. Adapt or else."

Morrel prayed for patience. "That's not what I -"

"Let me make my point." Mizuki pointed out a range of reddish, snow-capped mountains to the north. "Those're the Sokenzan Mountains. _That's_ where we're going. Oni live there, and bandits. Think you can talk your way out of an attack?"

Morrel looked up at the imposing mountains. He didn't dare ask what an oni was. "A fight prevented is as good as a fight won."

"I'd like to avoid 'em, too. But we're on _my_ mission. We do this my way," Mizuki snapped.

"What are we even doing up there?" Morrel asked. He felt a chill as he checked the Sokenzan Mountains again.

Mizuki glanced away. "That's, uh... a bit of a story."

"I feel I ought to know, Mizuki. Why don't you tell me while we stay at an inn?" He put a slight emphasis ont he last four words.

"Oh, fine. But you're paying, right?"

"Right."

"Then I know a place." Mizuki took Morrel's hand and dragged him over to a three-story inn with many windows, most with their curtains drawn. "And you're buying dinner, too."

"I'm not -!"

"Relax, it's cheap."

"Oh, fine." Morrel put a hard edge on his voice, but he couldn't help a grin as Mizuki brought him into the inn's front lobby. _What a girl._

*o*o*o*o*

Maretta hummed to herself as she wandered up the mountain path, kicking loose rocks as she found them. For her trip to Kamigawa, she wore a simple, flexible suit of leather armor that easily for her curvy frame. Her studded leather boots crunched on the dry Sokenan dirt trail.

Night was falling, and a few stars popped to life on the dark purple east sky. Down below, Maretta could see the lights of a nearby city, but searching there would have to wait. According to Rohkan, the shard she sought was probably somewhere up here.

The shards... Maretta once again wondered what exactly Azrael would do once he collected the four of them and assembled them. Something about "restoring my people". Maretta had noticed the burning passion, that almost obsessive look in his eye when he had explained her mission after recruiting her. Maretta knew honesty when she saw it... but Azrael had better explain himself at some point.

Until then, though, combing the Multiverse for the shards was pretty fun. Good exercise, at least. She wondered how Rohkan was doing on Innistrad -

Wild yells made Maretta look up. From over a rocky ridge sprang to brawny, humanoid forms with wild hair and horns on their heads. They landed right in front of Maretta, blocking the path.

"Came a long way to die alone, girl," one of them said in his gravely voice. He tapped the tip of his spiked iron club on his open palm while the other chuckled. THey wore tiger-skin loincloths and had two long, curvy canines.

More importantly, Maretta faintly sensed multi-colored mana slightly enhancing the two brutes, something defnitely foreign. _That's what I need._

Maretta smiled. "Evening, boys." She brushed her fingers on the handle of her mana whip.

The two ogres, or oni, as the natives called them, took a few steps forward. "Our mistress might wanna know what brings a stranger here," the second oni told the first. "Could eat her if she's got nothin' good to say."

"Yeah." The first oni reached out toward Maretta. "Come here, girly! Mistress wants to see -"

Both oni flinched when Maretta whirled in place and lashed out her whip in one fluid motion, Bblue mana running along the lash's length. The lash split in half, and each half snaked through the air and latched onto the backs of the onis' necks.

"That's better," Maretta cooed as she stepped up to the towering oni. She had to crane her neck to look at their faces. "Why don't you both take me to your mistress? I think she could help me." _That shard is mine!_

"Take to mistress. Yes," the second oni said faintly. He and the other oni turned and headed down the road, Maretta taking up the rear.

And when Maretta saw where the oni were taking her, she beamed in delight.


	4. Pact

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 4: Pact**

That evening at the inn, Morrel faced his greatest challenge yet: the public bathhouse.

"Well, that was new," Morrel muttered to himself, trying not to compare Bant's strict modesty policy with Kamigawa lifestyle. Mizuki had warned him of the violent dangers of new worlds... but there was more to travel than that!

At least the inn's staff was generous. As soon as Morrel finished his bathing in the public bath (Mizuki had finished hers a while ago), two smiling innkeepers hurried up to him and offered him a cream-colored, short-sleeved robe, a blue belt called an "obi", and straw sandals to wear during his stay. "You'll get your travel clothes back when you leave," they had explained when Morrel asked.

"Okay. Thanks," Morrel said, slipping on the robe and tightening the belt.

One of the innkeepers gasped. "No!" she said, eyes wide. She pulled Morrel's belt loose. "That's the wrong way! Left side folds over right, not right over left!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Our apologies, but you must be new to city life," the other innkeeper said. "You _must_ fold left over right." She had an amused but awkward look on her face.

Going red, Morrel fixed his robe and made his way back to his room. At least the robe was comfortable.

"Got lost?" Mizuki said snidely as Morrel slid open their room's door and shut it behind him. She wore a cherry-red robe with flower patterns and sat cross-legged on her low bed, a scoured dinner plate next to her.

Morrel ran a hand on his robe. "The innkeepers didn't like how I put this on right side over left."

"Yeah, 'cause that's how corpses are dressed at funerals."

"...Oh."

Clearing his throat, Morrel sat next to Mizuki on her bed (his was on the room's other side, behind a paper wall). "This is the most relaxed I've seen you so far. It's nice." He grinned.

Mizuki shrugged. "I used to come here all the time. After seeing so many other worlds..." She seemed to say it mostly to herself.

"Funny, I thought you liked wandering alone, being all independent."

"What makes you say that?" Mizuki glared at him.

"Well... that's just the impression I got," Morrel said sheepishly.

Mizuki sighed and tossed her bath-damp hair. "It's not like I set out to make a living this way. I do what I have to, to get stronger and defend myself."

"From what, if I may ask?"

"Morrel..."

Morrel set his jaw. "I'm risking my life going to a new world for you, fighting angels-know-what up in those mountains." He fixed his eyes on Mizuki's dark ones. "I want to know what this is all about."

For a few seconds, Mizuki was still. Then, she drew something from her pocket and held it on her open palm, showing how it was silver with an inlaid piece of polished jade. Her expression was somber. "I bring this everywhere. It was my little sister's. Her name was Hana."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just..." Mizuki gripped the pendant in her fist. Her chin trembled. "I still remember it. When my village was raided. I was seventeen. I was coming back from the local town, Haneibo, I think it was called... I was buying something for my mother, I don't remember what. Then I saw all the smoke."

Morrel's gut clenched. Visions of towns all across Bant, like Altha town, in flames, their people massacred... "That must have been so hard for you."

"It was the oni. First time I saw any," Mizuki choked. She stared at her fist. "Ugly, big, smelly, and blood on their clubs... I saw one take a man's head off at the town's edge. I wanted to scream so loudly, but I couldn't make any sound, or even move! I..."

"Never mind. I shouldn't have asked -"

"No, listen." Mizuki sighed and opened her hand again. She fingered the pendant. "There must have been a dozen oni there. They gathered up all the -" she swallowed. "- all the townsfolk in the middle, and I watched, hiding behind an ox cart. Then _she_ appeared. The akuma."

Morrel felt cold inside. "What is that?"

"M-most people on other planes call 'em demons. This akuma... there were legends about her, how she lives in some castle in the Sokenzan Mountains, butchering towns everywhere. She's called Haijin-no-Imari. No one dares speak her name above a whisper.

"So, the akuma walked right into the town, like some damned queen, and _drinks_ everyone's blood! It makes her stronger, you know... the oni just prepare the scene for her. Her skin glowed this horrible red..."

Morrel pursed his lips. "Your family...?"

"I saw 'em with the other dead." Mizuki took a deep breath through her nose. "The last time I talked to my sister was when I teased her about some crush she had. She was fourteen and shy, and I made fun of her! She ran off cursing me."

Morrel was respectfully silent, aghast at the story. But there had to be more, he thought.

"The oni sniffed me out when Haijin-no-Imari finished drinking," Mizuki said tightly a few seconds later. "Dragged me out. I screamed at the akuma, half of me hoping she'd kill me so I could see my family again... but she gave me an offer. Told me that if I accepted a gift of her power, I'd get my family back in new bodies, and they'd love me. In return, I'd have to help Haijin-no-Imari eat more people and keep samurai monster-hunter squads from finding her."

"So..." Morrel said carefully, "you accepted?"

Mizuki held up her left hand to eye level. "Y-yeah. I was crazy with grief, desperate... and when that akuma's curse fused into my left arm, I was _gone_. Found myself face-down on some totally different world. My Spark had activated, and I planeswalked for the first time. I met another 'walker there who told me about it."

Morrel swallowed. "How long ago was all this?"

"Mmmmmm... just over a year." Mizuki's eyes, shining with unshed tears, were suddenly hard. "And I spent all that time learning my curse, making myself stronger, learning new things. So I can finally face that akuma _bitch_ and kill her! I've learned a thing or two since then, Morrel. She isn't gonna bring my family back. All that's left is revenge."

She looked at him, a funny look on her face. "And if you help me kill her... we'll help keep this from happenin' to anyone else. That should make you happy, right? Satisfy your Bant honor of protecting the weak?"

"Right." Unable to help himself, Morrel wrapped his arms around Mizuki and held her tight. He savored the warmth of her body. "Mizuki, I'm so sorry."

"H-hey, I said you don't have to be!" Mizuki spluttered, going red. "I just..." She sighed again. "Shoulda known you'd get all sentimental on me."

"Me? Mizuki, you don't have to act tough or hide your pain. Maybe being on the road as a planeswalker made you lonelier than you'd admit. But there's nothing wrong with opening up. It's healthy."

"More Bant monk crap?"

"Call it crap, but I'm glad you told me," Morrel said. "We need a certain level of trust for this partnership to work. Attacking this Haijin-no-Imari monster won't be easy for either of us." He felt a knot in his stomach; just how powerful was this being? And with these "oni" beasts at her command...

Mizuki shifted, as though to get up, then relaxed. "I guess you've got a point there. Fine. I've got your back, and you, mine."

"Deal." Morrel couldn't help but notice the warm feeling he had inside, holding Mizuki close. He'd always watch out for his squadmates, but Mizuki... something in him wanted fiercely to stay at her side, keep her safe... just as he expected her to do for him.

What _was_ this feeling?

"Okay, so..." Mizuki said at length. "We've gotta get some rest. Maybe your body's still used to Bant time, but I'm beat."

"Right." Morrel let her go and got to his feet. "Big day ahead of us." He slunk over to his bed and lay there, hands folded behind his head as he stared at a fancy wall scroll on the opposite wall. In the room above him, someone was tromping around with heavy feet, saying something that Morrel couldn't make out through the ceiling. It would be a while before he'd sleep, he figured.

Mizuki was silent for the rest of the night.

*o*o*o*o*

"Yes. Good. Thank you. Fits exact specifications."

A man in his mid-thirties nodded as he fitted a new piece into his Etherium right arm in his lab, high atop a tower in Sharuum the Hegemon's palace. One of his assistants, a slender construct with blue-tinted titanium plating, nodded back.

"All measurements were carefully adhered to, Veldor," the construct said. "I trust that it fits?" Its voice was tinny and hollow, but its eyes glowed with white mana.

Veldor extended his right arm and focused his blue-white-black mana along its inner tubing, like irrigation canals. A nozzle on his wrist spat out a blinding blue-white web of mana that snared a trio of target dummies, with sparks of black mana snapping along its length.

"Fits perfectly," Veldor said, mostly to himself. "Thank you, 4-B. Please leave."

Bowing deeply, the construct backed out of the room, its metal feet clinking on the polished marble floor. The door shut automatically behind it.

 _Don't have much time,_ Veldor thought, walking over to his lab's window and staring out at the smooth slate cliffs that overlooked a churning sea. Overhead, the starry night sky was divided into its usual grid pattern, with thin blue lines running along the heavens in mathematical perfection. A few clouds hovered in a pre-set pattern, their bottoms exactly flat, as though sliced with a cleaver.

Veldor would miss Esper, seeing as he just got back to his home. But those shards! The clock was literally ticking, since Veldor had an Etherium clock in his chest plates measing precise time. So far, Ravnica and Vryn had turned up empty for leads on shards. So, maybe Theros? Or Lorwyn?

On either plane, Veldor would stand out awkwardly. His arms and chest, being entirely silver and brass Etherium, would mark him as an oddity, not to mention his expensive blue pants and black boots, and his ankle-length black cape. More than once he'd considered a chameleon circuit to be installed in his chest... then decided that no man of Esper should be ashamed to present himself fully.

Sharuum would approve.

On that thought, Veldor gathered his mana and was gone from Esper once again.


	5. At the Gate

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 5: At the Gate**

"Whoa. What is _that_?"

Morrel was hiking up a winding dirt road along up of the Sokenzan mountains with Mizuki when the latter showed him a ruby-encrusted gold bracelet that she drew from her pocket.

"Nice, isn't it?" Mizuki held it up, and the rubies brilliantly caught the morning light. She slipped it onto her right wrist, and it shrunk to fit snugly. "I found it on Kaladesh, a plane of tinkerers. So I picked it up."

"Picked it up, huh?" Morrel said, raising his eyebrows knowingly.

"It belonged to a thief," Mizuki said defensively. "So I took the ironic route and snatched it off him. Works wonders."

"Really." Morrel smoothed the front of his tunic. He was back in his old clothes, his boots kicking up reddish dust on the mountain trail. Mizuki, meanwhile, had her old sleeveless shirt and form-fitting, knee-length white pants, but was still barefoot.

"Aren't you curious what it does?" Mizuki waved her right arm at him, a taunting look on her face.

"Do I want to know?"

Mizuki laughed. "It ain't a weapon, or even a lockpick. Nothing dirty like that. No, it's a mana revitalizer!"

Morrel gawked as he turned a steep corner, heading higher up the mountain. "Just what kind of magic is in that thing?" The words barely left his mouth when he had another thought. "Did you use it to help me fight those Jund raiders back at Altha town?"

"No, that was all me." Mizuki tapped one of the rubies. "You see, it's on its last charge. Back luck, huh? The Kaladeshian thief had used up all but two of its charges when I got it, and I've got no idea who can recharge it. So I tested it once, and it totally works." Her face turned grim as she pointed up the mountain's face. "I'm gonna need it to kill that akuma. I swear, I _will_ kill it."

No doubt that Mizuki had learned many secrets and skills while wandering the many worlds of the Multiverse, and this power bracelet would be her trump card. But...

Morrel cleared his throat. "What about me? I don't suppose you have another...?"

"Sorry. Just the one. But hear me out." Mizuki pointed at Morrel. "The oni at Haijin-no-Imari's castle will stop to question us, so when I attack, back me up. We should take 'em out in a minute or two."

"There isn't an easier way in?" Morrel asked. "Back home, there were trained stealh experts who could -"

"Oni have good noses," Mizuki cut in. "And I'll bet that Haijin-no-Imari wouldn't be fooled, either. We're gonna have to storm the place. You up to it?"

 _Angels watch me..._ Morrel knew that it wasn't really a question. He clenched his hands into fists as he rounded another curve on the mountain trail. "Lead the way, miss adventure."

*o*o*o*o*

"This is it," Mizuku muttered to Morrel as the mountain trail leveled out and widened. "Mugen no Chi no Shiro. Castle of Infinite Blood."

Clouds had passed over Kamigawa's morning sun, throwing everything into an early gloom. A dry wind picked up, stirring loose red dirt and rattling the scrubby bushes that grew along the trail's edge. And up ahead lay the most horrible building Morrel had ever seen.

Four stories high, the castle had stone-brick walls with wood paneling on the upper floors, and the roofs had the same steep peaks as the town's and the same curved eave corners. But this time, the effect was menacing; the eaves' points seemed longer than necessary, the tiles black, the windows dark. Red banners hung on a wall surrounding the castle, each with a complicated character on them written in harsh brush strokes. An iron gate was shut tight right up ahead, nestled in the wall.

And four oni stood on guard, clubs held at the ready.

Morrel felt a chill. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I know." Mizuki's face was somber as she ran her fingers over the power bracelet. "Enchanted kites have long since mapped out this area, but we may be the first people to willingly come here. Anyone would think we're nuts to even start on that trail."

Morrel gave the castle another long look of dread. "Can't blame them at all."

Mizuki tapped a ruby on the bracelet. At once, her black mana aura flared up, seething like an inferno. Her left arm's curse fully manifested.

"Whoa." Morrel tentatively reached out a hand toward her, and jerked it back. His hand stung.

"Better not touch." Mizuki focused and condensed her mana aura around her, making it barely visible. "Okay, the oni probably won't notice my aura until I make the first move. But just in case, try to keep 'em focused on you, okay?"

"Okay. But your arm..."

"Oh, yeah!" Mizuki tugged on Morrel's coat. "Can I borrow this? I need the sleeves to hide my curse, so the oni don't suspect me."

Morrel gave her a funny look. "Quite the oversight."

Mizuki went pink. "Shut up! Cloak, if you don't mind?"

Unable to help a nervous grin, Morrel handed it over and Mizuki slipped it on. There was no helping that it was a bit too big on her; she was a good five inches shorter than him.

Trying to look confident rather than petrified, Morrel took the lead and marched further down the road and into the castle's shadow, right toward the gate. As expected, the oni stepped forward to intercept.

"Yer a long way from home, boy," one of the oni said gruffly, glaring at Morrel with its yellowish eyes. Its words came out distorted through its enlarged lower canines, and its breath made Morrel's gorge rise.

Morrel swallowed as the four brutes surrounded him. They had to be at least eight feet tall. "I'm sorry, I got lost. Where's the nearest town?"

The four oni burst out laughing. "Town!" another guffawed. "You ain't goin' to a town, boy! Or yer friend back there! The mistress'll want to see what this's all 'bout." He tapped his iron club against his open palm.

Morrel held up his hands to placate the oni, knowing it wouldn't work. But he did dredge up his mana, bit by bit. _Almost there..._ "I'd taste bad. Your mistress wouldn't want me."

"Mistress gets what she wants!" a third oni roared, and he reached out with his grimy hand to seize Morrel's neck, his fingernails chipped and claw-like -

The oni stumbled as his throat split wide open. Dark, hot blood seeped onto his bare chest, and his club dropped from numb fingers.

Barely a second later, Morrel gaped as Mizuki leaped forward and threw a terrific punch. He heard the sick thump of her fist striking wounded flesh, and the oni collapsed, his neck mangled.

 _That first attack... I didn't even see it!_ Morrel thought, eyes wide. _Mizuki..._

"GET THEM!" roared the first oni.

Morrel dove out of harm's way as three huge iron clubs slammed into the ground where he and Mizuki had stood. Howling in fury, the oni stomped toward Morrel, raising their clubs for another blow. One of the clubs whistled through the air, headed right for his head -

The oni dropped his club as he, too, had his throat torn open by a human-sized blur.

 _It's working!_ Morrel couldn't help a cocky grin even as his heart raced in his chest. He frantically zig-zagged across the battlefield, careful to avoid the onis' attacks. Before long, a third had its throat mangled by Mizuki's claws.

Morrel wondered how the petite Mizuki could reach up there, then realized that she must be leaping like an acrobat. Was that why she was barefoot and wore simple clothing? To maximize movement? Well, not everyone needed weapons...

"Arrrgh!" Morrel winced in pain as the last oni suddenly kicked him with its bare foot, catching him right in the middle. He tumbled ten feet across the dirt trail, his ribs throbbing with pain with each breath, his chest no doubt bruised. Overhead, the oni prepared to bring down his club.

Morrel rolled out of the way just in time, his sore ribs flaring with pain. Still, he got what he needed: a few seconds' respite. Springing to his feet, he drew a knife and slashed it right at the oni's ankle, near the back. He heard the tendon snap.

With a howl, the oni awkwardly fell to one knee, frantically squirming around to try and seize Morrel. Too late; Mizuki struck again, and the oni collapsed in a bloody heap, its windpipe savaged.

Morrel panted, wiping his sweaty brow as he took in the scene. Two minutes ago, he had just seen these creatures, and now they lay dead. He hardly dared believe it. "We make a good team," he croaked.

"Good one with the ankle," Mizuki commented. "But you gotta watch for surprise attacks. Read your opponent. You could have a cracked rib."

Morrel winced again as he gingerly felt his ribs. Probably not broken... but maybe close. "Not the first time I took a blow. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've handled worse."

"Wait there." For a minute, Mizuki was quiet as she rummaged through the four onis' tiger-pelt loincloths. Then, she made a sound of triumph and held up a key. "Let's get moving before the bracelet's charge runs out. I've probably got ten minutes, tops."

 _At this rate, you won't even need that!_ Morrel thought with glee. "I'll keep you covered."

*o*o*o*o*

"Come on... come on..." Maretta's frown deepened as she wove her way deeper into the akuma's castle, her two pet oni sniffing every square inch for the target. Her two oni had quickly gotten themselves, and her, over the castle's wall and past the guards with ease, and Maretta didn't care that she was walking past priceless urns, wall scrolls, or gold-plated human bones in display cases. Even if this akuma was a collector, Maretta needed one thing, and fast.

"That blasted shard," Maretta muttered. "You boys really don't smell anything unusual in here?"

Apparently not. The oni led Maretta around a corner on the third floor and into a long entertainment hall, more treasures along the wall, paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. But nothing here caught Maretta's eye. Nothing even similar to the -

"I don't remember inviting guests."

Maretta froze, as did her pet oni, when a venemous woman's voice wafted through the stifling castle air. She slowly turned around.

A towering woman with bulging yellow eyes, finger-sized canines, and two long, curvy horns on her forehead stared Maretta down. Not even her silky black hair and expensive-looking yellow robes could offset the monstrous red-black mana aura around her, or the bloodlust in those yellow eyes, or the reddish tone of her skin.

"You must be Haijin-no-Imari," Maretta said with a sly smile.

Haijin-no-Imari made a raspy, hissing noise and raised a clawed hand as though to throttle Maretta. At the same time, more oni shuffled into the room, clubs ready.

"Oh," Maretta said mockingly. "So you're going to make this difficult." Her blue-white mana aura flared to its fullest, causing the oni to falter. "Okay. I'm game."


	6. Face-to-Face

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 6: Face-to-Face**

Morrel had barely taken five steps into the Castle of Infinite Blood's lantern-lit entrance hall when he froze. "Do you hear that?"

From somewhere deeper in the castle's gaudily-decorated wooden halls came the frantic thumps and shouts of a fight, at least two stories up. Morrel winced when a sudden slam rattled the walls, causing the paper lanterns to swing on the ceiling. Their light flashed erratically all over the room.

Mizuki took off Morrel's coat and handed it back. She had a snarl on her face. "Something's up. Get your coat on and let's go!"

His mind racing, Morrel sprinted through the castle and past countless expensive wall scrolls, porcelain vases, and jewel-encrusted human bones on shelves. The sight of all these treasures a monster's lair sickened him... but so far, no guards intercepted him. No more oni, no nothing.

But Morrel still felt like the castle's walls were closing on him, the whole building pressing down on him. He glanced over at Mizuki and felt a rush of warm confidence, seeing her so determined. _We'll finish this for sure._

The sounds of battle grew louder as Morrel and Mizuki hurried up a wide staircase to the second level, and up another to the third floor. After sprinting through an unlocked treasure room (was Haijin-no-Imari fighting a thief?), Morrel and Mizuki skidded to a halt in a huge, well-lit entertainment hall.

At least a dozen oni crowded the room, a few more of them laying dead on the floor in pools of blood. Already, most of the furniture had been smashed, and deep cracks spread across the walls and floor where combatants had hit them.

Morrel's eyes locked onto two paticular beings: a human woman in her late twenties with a blue mana whip, and a towering, red-skinned woman with forehead-mounted horns, enlarged lower canines, and an expensive yellow robe.

Mizuki tensed, her left arm's fingers curled like claws. She took a deep breath. "HAIJIN-NO-IMARI! FACE ME!"

At once, the red-skinned woman whirled around, took in Mizuki with her bulging yellow eyes, and growled. "You," the akuma rasped. "My missing thrall. At last!"

Most of the oni turned to face Mizuki, while five others stood still, bound by the other woman's whip's split cord. Haijin-no-Imari's oni advanced on Mizuki, clubs ready for the kill.

In a blur, Mizuki bound across the room.

Hot, dark oni blood sprayed into the air as Mizuki swiped her cursed hand's claws across a startled ogre's neck. The oni gurgled and crumpled, causing the rest to falter for a second.

The whip woman laughed. "Oh, this is great!" she hooted from across the hall. "I dunno who you kids are, but thanks for the help!"

Mizuki landed on her bare feet for just a second before she sprang again. Three oni had brought down their iron clubs to crush her, only to smash into the bare wooden floor instead. The floorboards cracked loudly and splintered under the pressure.

Once again, Mizuki vaulted through the air like an acrobat and slashed open an oni's neck. She kicked off the brute's neck and caught another by surprise, her claws raking across his chest. The oni drew back, howling in pain.

"Morrel!" Mizuki cried. "Back me up! I'll finish it quick!"

"Right!" Drawing up his white-blue-green mana to its fullest, Morrel braced himself, threw out his open hands, and channeled blue and white mana. A large, semi-transparent mana barrier popped up between Mizuki and most of the akuma's oni, giving her precious seconds of freedom. Morrel kept pumping mana into his barrier to keep it together as the oni tried to knock it down with mighty blows of their clubs. _Just a little longer..._

Mizuki vaulted past the last two oni with ease and descended on the exposed Haijin-no-Imari, her left arm drawn back for the kill, her black hair whipping through the air. Her claws were an inch from Haijin-no-Imari's shocked face -

In a flash, Haijin-no-Imari reached out and caught Mizuki's left wrist in her hand.

Mizuki jerked back, but she couldn't break free of the akuma's grip. She hung there awkwardly, huffing and snarling in her enemy's face.

"Hang on!" Morrel cried. He felt himself aching and sweating from keeping his barrier up, but that didn't stop him; he drew two knives from his belt and rushed over to help. At the same time, the whip woman sent over two of her own oni.

However, the two free oni blocked Morrel's path, leering down at him with their yellow eyes. "Get back, boy," one of them grated. "Mistress is gonna teach y'all a lesson!" Nearby, the whip woman's oni were similarly blocked.

Morrel bared his teeth and held up his knives, but the oni didn't budge. _Damn it, I don't think I have the mana for that barrier and a time dilation spell at the same time. If that barrier comes down, we'll get swarmed!_

Meanwhile, Haijin-no-Imari chuckled. "I see you brought friends, Mizuki," she said. "That woman with the whip... impressive, to control my oni like that."

"Sh-she's not with me," Mizuki snarled. She tried to tug herself free. No good.

"The boy, then?" Haijin-no-Imari said. "Maybe I'll drink his blood next. Until then..."

With her free hand, Haijin-no-Imari snatched Mizuki's Kaladeshian bracelet off and crushed it between her fingers. Then, she gripped Mizuki's upper arm and twisted.

Mizuki shrieked as the sound of her bones cracking filled the lantern-lit hall.

"Punishment for leaving me," Haijin-no-Imari said dismissively, tossing Mizuki into a corner, next to a demolished display case of jewelry. "I'll take care of you later. For now, the others." She glared at Morrel hungrily.

Morrel tore his eyes from Mizuki's helpless form and retracted his large barrier, freeing up his mana. "Hey... whip woman! Can you help?"

As answer, the woman snapped her whip, and all five of her controlled oni shoved aside Haijin-no-Imari's ten surviving guards long enough for Morrel to join her. Morrel took up a defensive position by the woman's side.

"Who are you?" Morrel panted, knives held up as Haijin-no-Imari's oni advanced in a wall of smelly ogres.

"My name's Maretta," the woman said tensely. "I didn't expect company, but I could use your help. Good barriers."

"Thanks. I'm Morrel. I'll ask why you're here later. Got any ideas?"

Maretta narrowed her eyes as she thought it over. "Your friend's strong arm is still working. Maybe the akuma couldn't break it. Help me clear a path to your friend, and we'll distract Haijin-no-Imari long enough to give her an opening to really finish it this time."

The akuma's oni snarled and raised their clubs to strike. At the same time, Maretta sent forth her five whip-bound oni, and the loud clang of metal on metal filled the hall as the oni crossed weapons. "Now, Morrel!" Maretta howled. "My mana's running out!"

 _So is mine. Let's make it count._ Taking a deep breath, Morrel channeled his blue-green mana into his muscles and brain. The effect was immediate: time slowed to a crawl, the oni moving as though underwater. Morrel could see every flex of every oni's muscles, see them make angry expressions of rage and pain bit by bit.

Morrel leaped and spun in place, knives out. He grinned as his blades slashed open an oni's chest all over, hot blood filling the air. Ducking low, Morrel swiped his left knife at another oni's ankle and severed the tendon, then whipped around and did the same on another foe with his right blade. Morrel saw both oni's faces change from anger to shock and pain slowly and gradually.

That part never got old.

Panting heavily, his body shaking from exertion, Morrel hurried over and moved two onis' clubs out of the way, preventing them from striking Maretta's own oni. If Maretta could create an opening -

With a cry, Morrel felt his spell wear off, and the ache in his muscles seemed to double. He stumbled and swayed as time snapped back to normal, his brain foggy and slow. _Oh no -_

Heavy, flat pain blasted through Morrel's chest as an oni's club caught him in the stomach. He felt himself flung across the hall and smash into a wall, where he collapsed in a heap, his ears ringing.

 _I... definitely broke a rib this time!_

Morrel watched in a pained haze as Maretta's oni fought to create an opening. Thanks to Morrel's strikes, her five oni had a short but serious advantage. They easily avoided their opponent's blows and finished off the three oni Morrel had injured earlier, their clubs crushing the enemy onis' skulls with sickening crunches. The dead oni dropped, leaving seven hostiles.

"Morrel! Get to your friend!" Maretta cried. She twitched her whip, and one of its five lashes split to form a sixth that took control of another one of Haijin-no-Imari's oni. The newly-controlled oni whirled around and knocked aside one of its former fellows, helping create an opening.

Shaking his head clear, Morrel struggled to his feet and jogged awkwardly through the handful of remaining oni to reach Mizuki. One of the akuma's oni turned to stop him, until one of Maretta's oni tackled it heavily to the ground.

"Hey! Can you get up?" Morrel knelt by Mizuki, shaking her good shoulder. "We've got to hurry!"

"Ugh..." Mizuki pushed herself upright on her cursed arm, her face pale with shock and pain. "What's going on?" She looked up and saw Maretta's oni keeping Haijin-no-Imari's own at bay, at least for the moment. But Mizuki, like Morrel, could see that Maretta was tiring, her mana aura sputtering with strain.

Morrel grimaced. "I took a hit there, but we're still in this. Maretta will cover us. Come on!"

"Y-yeah." Mizuki got fully to her feet and stomped toward Haijin-no-Imari. "Hey! You thought I'd take that lying down?"

The akuma leered down at Mizuki. "You children... maybe I'll just eat you _both_ and save myself the trouble!" She advanced, her claws extended, red mana sizzling on them -

Ribbons of white mana snaked through the air and bound Haijin-no-Imari's arms and legs, and the akuma came to a jerking halt. "What...!"

Morrel looked over and saw that Maretta had dispelled her blue whip spell, and instead had the white mana ribbons coming from her whip handle. "Hurry!" Maretta cried. "All the oni are after me!"

She was right; now all twelve of the oni were hulking after the exhausted Maretta, who leaped to the room's other side to buy her a few seconds. But time was definitely running out.

With a shout of fury and vengance, Mizuki sprang and brought down her cursed arm with a heave. Her claws tore open Haijin-no-Imari's chest from the hollow her neck to her navel, soaking her expensive yellow robes with steaming black blood.

"Yes!" Morrel couldn't help an elated cry as he hurried over, fueling his muscles with a bit more green and white mana. His left knife slashed into the akuma's shoulder, and he tossed aside his other knife to make a fist that sank deep into the akuma's wound. He felt his knuckles break Haijin-no-Imari's ribs. _That one was for me!_

Haijin-no-Imari howled and gnashed her teeth. With a supreme effort, she tore herself free of Maretta's white mana ribbons, flared up her red-black mana, and issued a blast of energy that threw Morrel and Mizuki back, both of them tumbling across the floor.

Morrel scrambled around on the floor, willing himself to get up, but he shouted in pain and collapsed again, his ribs searing in his chest, his body trembling with exhaustion. He had only a bit of blue mana, and scraps of green and white left. His vision went hazy as he watched Maretta desperately reactivate her mana whip, taking control of six oni. The two teams of oni re-engaged each other to buy Morrel and Mizuki time.

Would it be enough?

Mizuki was already back on her feet, her black mana aura wavering but defiantly humming around her. Her expression was one of grim determination. "Stay back, you bitch," she grated. "Stay back-"

Haijin-no-Imari staggered forward and kicked Mizuki. The girl tumbled back down.

"I've had enough of you, brat," Haijin-no-Imari spat, her hands clenched into fists. "Your family's blood was exquisite. So will be yours." She reached down to grab Mizuki's throat-

Morrel rolled over and jabbed his remaining knife right into the Haijin-no-Imari's right calf. The akuma stumbled back, hissing in shock.

"You -" Haijin-no-Imari turned back around and towered over Morrel. She drew back a fist and threw it right at his head.

 _N-no..._ The last of Morrel's blue and white mana came together in a dinner plate-sized barrier right in front of his nose. The akuma's fist shattered it, but the barrier had broken the attack's momentum, buying Morrel enough time to roll away.

From the floor, Morrel watched as Mizuki scraped herself together, got to her feet again, and intercepted the marauding akuma.

With one fluid motion, Mizuki reached her cursed arm deep into Haijin-no-Imari's chest, tensed, and jerked her arm back.

Morrel heard the akuma's spine snap.

"You -" Haijin-no-Imari seized, then her eyes rolled up in her head and she slumped over like a toppled statue, right onto her back.

Mizuki stood over the akuma, a small piece of bone in her blood-soaked hand. She tossed the bone back into the akuma's chest cavity. "I think this is yours. Good riddance."

A second later, Haijin-no-Imari's body dissolved in a stinking cloud of red-black mana.

"You... you did it!" Morrel grinned, and coughed wetly. His broken rib seared again. "Mizuki..."

Mizuki sank to knees, cradling her broken right arm. "Morrel... I'm free! Any second now, my curse..."

"Yeah." Morrel checked on Maretta's battle; three of Haijin-no-Imari's oni had fallen, but Maretta's six were badly hurt. Growing tired of these brutes, Morrel threw one of his knives into an oni's back, distracting it long enough for Maretta's minions to finish it off. Taking advantage of their sudden opening, they took down the last two hostiles.

Maretta gave her mana whip a twitch. At once, the six oni slashed their own throats with their claws and crumpled next to the rest of the fallen. Clearly satisfied, Maretta powered down her whip and jogged over to Morrel and Mizuki. "You kids okay?"

"We'll live," Morrel panted. He sat up. "You... you're not from Kamigawa, are you? I know about planeswalkers. Why did you come here?"

Maretta sighed as she attached her belt to her leather armor's belt. "Guess I can't fool you. I was born on Vryn, a place strong in arcane magic, especially blue. The mage rings are a real sight! Anyway..." She glanced around the ruined hall. "I'm on a mission from my boss. Haijin-no-Imari had stolen an artifact from him."

"What... kind of artifact?"

Maretta glanced over at Haijin-no-Imari's vapor. "It's tough to explain, but... HEY!"

Haijin-no-Imari's dark vapors finally faded away, and something was left. To Morrel, it looked like a quarter of a head-sized opal, with thousands of tiny points of multi-colored light glittering inside it.

Maretta laughed in triumph as she stalked over to the opal piece and picked it up. "That akuma bitch must have swallowed it for safekeeping! No wonder I couldn't find it. Explains how she was so infernally powerful, too."

"That's great," Morrel said with another wet cough. "Look, my friend Mizuki and I just wanted to slay Haijin-no-Imari to avenge Mizuki's family. As soon as we recover, she'll planeswalk us away."

Maretta frowned. "You're not a planeswalker yourself?"

"No. You see -"

"Morrel!" Mizuki gasped. "My arm... the curse isn't lifted! Look!"

Morrel stared at Mizuki's scaly, obsidian-black left arm, still complete with claw-like nails and its black mana aura. "What... but Haijin-no-Imari... how is the curse...?"

Mizuki looked close to tears as she held her cursed arm in front of her face. "No... why? WHY?"

Maretta looked uncomfortable. "Look, my boss is a genius in a number of fields. I can contact him across the planes and bring him. Maybe he'll know what to do." She closed her eyes and tensed her face for a moment.

A blue-black mana gate flared to life in the middle of the ruined hall. A man in his mid-thirties wearing studded leather armor and a blue cape stepped out, his regal face framed with long red hair.

"Azrael," Maretta said gratefully. "That was quick."

"No time to waste," Azrael said in clipped tones as his planeswalking gate closed. He took a few heavy steps forward and regarded the seated Morrel and the sobbing Mizuki. "Looks like we've got business to conclude."


	7. Meeting Allies

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 7: Meeting Allies**

Morrel staggered to his feet to properly greet Azrael. "P-pleased to meet you. I don't suppose you know a good healer?" He swayed on the spot, his mind feeling fuzzy.

"Perhaps." Azrael accepted the oversized opal shard from Maretta and tucked it under his left arm. He bowed his head to Morrel. "Good day, young sir." He bowed his head again to Mizuki. "Young lady."

Mizuki swallowed. "What d'you want?" Her chest heaved.

Azrael ran a hand delicately through a lock of his red hair. "Many things. For the moment, I want to extend an offer for you both. It seems that you're both quite capable, to have helped Maretta in a place like this." He glanced at his ally.

"Yeah." Maretta nodded enthusiastically. "That akuma was a tough one, Azrael, especially since it swallowed the shard for extra power. But these two sure came through. The boy's Morrel. The girl's Mizuki, a native. I heard Morrel call her by name."

"I see." Azrael cleared his throat. "Morrel, Mizuki... well done, slaying that akuma. But I have more work to do, and if you both were to help me, I could offer much in return."

Morrel hesitated; Azrael seemed like a sensible fellow, but... he felt a faint chill as he took in the man's blue-black mana aura that gently permeated the room. There was something about it... "Who do you represent?"

"Myself. I have a mission to complete," Azrael said. "I was born on Dominaria, on an island nation called Ezig Natum." His face fell. "That island is no more. But if I collect the four broken pieces of my creation, the Sphaera Vitae, I can ensure that nothing like what happened to my home has to happen anywhere else."

 _His home? Ruined?_ Morrel thought back on Bant, where Grixis siege beasts and zombie hordes butchered the townsolk and harvested their flesh, and where Jund raiding parties burned everything in sight and poisoned the ground... He clenched his fists. "What exactly happened?"

Azrael's tone took on a hard edge. "It was invaded. By whom, I still don't know. But you see, Morrel... everyone I know is dead. I was a genius artificer there, renowned... I feel it's my duty to do something, anything. My artifact was broken into four pieces when it backfired the first time. But I've learned since then. If I get back the pieces, I can make all this right!"

Maretta nodded. "He'll help protect the innocent and weak across the Multiverse with the artifact's power." She smiled. "And we'll all be rewarded, of course. Azrael's a generous fellow. Right?" She gave him a fond look.

"I have seen enough suffering," Azrael said somberly. He held out the Sphaera shard for Morrel and Mizuki to see. "Will you join me, young sir and lady?"

"Well..." Morrel knelt by Mizuki. "Hey, what d'you make of all this? You've seen more of the Multiverse than me."

"My arm..." Mizuki glared at her left arm with disgust. She looked over at Azrael. "Hey, you. Can you destroy this curse? 'Cause if not, I'm outta here."

"Let me see." Azrael walked over, got to one knee, and held Mizuki's left arm carefully in his hands. "I see. An akuma curse. This is why you stormed this castle?"

Mizuki nodded mutely.

"My Sphaera Vitae could dispel that curse," Azrael said confidently. "That, or simply the act of righteously helping me prevent acts of evil can counteract the curse's dark nature. I've seen it happen before." He stood. "Give me your pledge of loyalty, Morrel and Mizuki, and I can help you as much as you could help me."

Morrel hesitated again. Up close, Azrael was a charming and alluring fellow... but that aura! It felt cold, and the vague _something_ felt stronger. Undercurrents of... obsession? Grief?

Madness?

 _No, Azrael is the victim. His people..._ But Morrel couldn't shake that feeling. What else was Azrael planning?

Mizuki glanced at Morrel. "You wanna do it? Look, I'm grateful you helped me kill Haijin-no-Imari. Really, for my family, I'm glad. But I still have the curse, right? Azrael said that helping him can break the curse. An act of righteousness, he said. Bantians like you would like that, right?"

Morrel helped Mizuki onto her feet. "It's a tempting offer, Azrael. But I'd need to know if -"

A flare of flaming red mana cut him off.

Another being stepped into the entertainment hall through a planeswalking gate. It was an elf woman Maretta's age, with her brown hair in two long, braided ponytails. She wore a wilderness survival outfit and a determined scowl.

"You!" Azrael whirled to face the newcomer. "You have some nerve, coming here -"

As an answer, the elf woman extended her left hand and, with a blast of flame, summoned a petite phoenix. The bird spread its fiery wings and filled the room with light and its beautiful cry.

Azrael and Maretta covered their faces with their arms and backed away from the fiery display, buying the elf some time. Quickly, the elf took Mizuki's cursed arm in her hand. "Come with me, quick! Azrael... that man is _not_ what he seems to be. Please... just trust me. I will bring you to a healer and explain myself."

Morrel gaped. _What the...?_ "Hey, elf lady... are we going to Naya? 'Cause it's not safe there..."

"Zendikar," the elf said. "My name's Zoira. I'm here to _really_ help you. Hurry!"

"But Azrael's Sphaera..." Mizuki said.

"Just hear me out!" Zoira insisted.

"Fine!" Mizuki wrenched her arm free and gripped Morrel's upper arm. "Just lead the way."

Morrel winced as he felt the familiar, crushing pressure around him, like he was being squeezed through a dark tube. His consciousness was crushed into a tiny mote of light -

As soon as Morrel's feet touched solid ground, he collapsed, his ribs flaring with pain. His stomach churned and he felt himself break into a cold sweat. "Ohhhhhh..."

Mizuki appeared next to him and fell flat on her face, panting. She was careful not to jostle her broken right arm.

"Mizuki... are you okay?" Morrel groaned, tentatively reaching out to touch her. She was cool to the touch, her body shivering. _Oh no..._

Through another flaming gate stepped Zoira, her expression placating. "Sorry about the short notice," she said as the gate vanished behind her. "I'll get you to a healer's house right away." She raised her voice. "Got two injured here!"

Two more elves, men this time, hurried over and slumped Morrel and Mizuki over their shoulders.

And on the way to the promised healer, slumped over the elf's shoulder, Morrel fully took in where he was.

He was in a wild elf colony, nestled on the branches of an unfathomably vast tree in an exotic forest. Massive glowing fruits hung from nearby trees as insects and bizarre elementals crawled along their leafy, vine-draped branches as colorful birds swooped by overhead. The sunlight barely poked through the forest canopy in shafts of greenlish light.

The settlement itself was made up of animal-skin tents, thatched-roof huts, and apartments carved right into the tree's wall-like trunk. Elves, humans, and other beings Morrel had never seen before crowded the place, bartering for equipment and weapons, saddling animals, gathering parties for expeditions...

 _So this is Zendikar, huh?_ was Morrel's last thought before he blacked out again.

*o*o*o*o*

Crickets chirped and frogs croaked outside when Morrel jolted awake. He lay on a wide cot in a room lit by an oil lantern hanging on the ceiling. Based on the smooth, carved walls, this room was built into the tree's trunk. He thought he heard creatures crawling around inside the wooden walls.

Shelves of animal bits, jars of liquid, and medical tools were everywhere on the walls, plus a few more empty cots. The room smelled of different chemicals and herbs.

Morrel groaned as he sat upright, pushing aside his thin blanket. Someone had removed his shirt to apply enchanted white bandages to his chest, and his heart felt sluggish, his blood thick. Maybe from medicinal herbs or potions? "Mizuki?" he croaked.

Mizuki stirred on her own cot. Her arm was in a sling that hummed with green mana. "H-hey. Did we make it?"

"Whoa." Morrel forced a laugh. "You must be more out of it than I am. We got here okay. Zoira..."

"Zoira!" Mizuki leaped out of her cot and onto her feet, baring her teeth. "She better have a good explanation for - ohhhh..." She staggered.

"Get back in bed!" barked a new voice.

From a back office marched a pale man with white hair and dark tribal markings on his face and arms. He was roughly middle-aged and wore survival gear like Zoira, who accompanied him. "You both need to keep resting. Unless you want to open something back up?"

Mizuki scowled and crawled back into her cot. "You the healer?"

"Yes," the man said shortly, dusting his hands. "You teenagers sure took a beating out there. How did -"

"It's okay. I can take it from here," Zoira assured the man, ushering him from the room. "Thank you again."

Zoira turned back and put her hands on her curvy hips. "Do me a favor and follow the doctor's orders, okay? I'd hate to see you both break something else."

"Where are we?" Morrel croaked. His chest's pain was now a dull throbbing.

"A Tajuru elf camp on the Murasa continent of Zendikar," Zoira said, stepping closer. "My native tribe. But other races are welcome here, like that kor man just now. His name's Grada."

"A kor?" Morrel repeated.

"A race of natural survivalists," Zoira said. "But don't worry too much about that." She drew up a stool and sat between Morrel and Mizuki's cots. "I'm sorry for bringing you both on short notice like that. But I couldn't let Azrael get control of you back there on Kamigawa."

Mizuki snarled. "He was going to help me, you know." She held up her left arm, which had reverted to normal for now. "Can your kor friend cure my curse, by any chance?" Sarcasm weighed down her voice.

Zoira bit her lower lip. "No, and neither can I, because -"

"Then why did you barge right in?" Mizuki snapped. "Azrael's friend Maretta helped us kill Haijin-no-Imari! What did _you_ do?"

"Please, stop!" Zoira slapped a hand on her thigh. "You don't know what you're talking about, Mizuki! I've been busy. I barely had time to follow Azrael's planeswalking path to Kamigawa. It's difficult to track him, but because of his haste to Kamigawa, it was easier. It allowed me to get you two out of there in time."

"In time for what?" Morrel asked. A thought dawned on him. "Are you... an enemy of Azrael's?"

Zoira nodded. "For good reason. Trust me. Did Azrael tell you about his Sphaera Vitae, and what happened to his home city on Dominaria?"

"Yeah," Morrel said cautiously, "that he'd use his artifact to prevent any more acts of evil like that one that destroyed his home. Zoira, I've seen the maelstrom war on Bant! I know what sort of horrors that Azrael is trying to prevent."

But Morrel remembered that odd feeling he had had around Azrael. Was Morrel the fool here?

"He's playing you." Zoira drew something from her tool belt, a silver capsule. "But I know better. See this? It's a memory capsule, often used by Dominaria's advanced artificers and researchers. This one belongs to Azrael's sister."

A stunned silence fell in the room.

Mizuki's eyes widened. "What, does _she_ want to stop Azrael, too?"

"For the sake of her brother... yeah." Zoira popped the capsule open, and a sheet of pearly white mana flooded the room -

Morrel found himself standing on a tower's balcony in a sprawling city of stone and metal alike. Mizuki and Zoira stood with him, along with a fourth person.

"This is Ezig Natum," the newcomer said. She had smooth red hair and wore a dark green gown and a gold necklace. Something was familiar about her, from the shape of her face to her eyes...

"Are you Azrael's...?" Morrel asked.

The young woman nodded. "My name's Kaida," she said. "This was where my brother and I were born, and learned all about artifice and life energies." She swept an arm to encompass the sunlit city. "A place of learning that rivaled Tolaria Academy! Until _they_ came."

The air grew dark as a horde of twisted monsters appeared from a portal in fast forward, swarming the city, slaughtering the people where they stood, smashing and burning everything in sight. The monsters left, leaving only ruins.

"Azrael and I didn't know where they came from," Kaida said sadly, "and we were lucky to survive in our safe house near the city's edge. The few other survivors simply left for the mainland, but the invaders had gotten there, too. Azrael and I took it upon ourselves to find a way to undo all this. We used all our research and what artifacts we had left to build the Sphaera Vitae, the sphere of life."

Morrels recalled Azrael's words. "It didn't work?"

"No. It overloaded, and split into four pieces that disappeared," Kaida said. As she spoke, a flare of light came to life on a cliff face further ahead. "The explosion vaporized my body, leaving only my mind in my memory capsule. I thought no one would learn of this until that kind elf lady, Zoira, found the ruins of my home and resolved to stop my brother."

"But he's trying to help," Morrel pointed out. "Why would you stop him?"

"Madness and grief have claimed him," Kaida said bitterly. "Our Sphaera won't work. I'm sure of it. But Zoira told me that he's trying to rebuild it and make it even more powerful! The first time it went off, it shuddered the AEther and nearly destabilized Dominaria. If it were to go off again, whole planes could be warped and torn apart when AEther leaks into them. Billions would die, whole ways of life gone."

Morrel stared, his mind numb with shock. "Neither you nor Zoira could warn him?"

"Like I told you, kind sir, my brother's mind is lost," Kaida said. "Obsession, madness, grief... he is no longer the brother I knew growing up. He was the pride of our university, but now his gifts will destroy so much! It pains me to ask you this... but will you put an end to my brother? Take his shards and hide them, and..." She looked down. "Give my brother rest. You, and your friend here. It would be a tremendous service to the whole Multiverse."

Mizuki looked out at the desolation and back to Kaida. "You... really want us to kill him?"

Kaida nodded. "Please give him rest. We should have died with the others that day anyway, now that I've had time to think on it. We can finally join our family in the after."

Morrel set his jaw. _My quest..._ "All right, I'll help you. Azrael promised me power and glory, but that was the madness talking, wasn't it? I sensed something about him..."

"Azrael's tainted gifts aren't something you'd want," Kaida said firmly. "He has already seduced two other planeswalkers with his mind magic, by what Zoira has told me. She's told me all about planes and the walkers... based on my research, and this new data... it's all clear to me. You have to stop him and prevent harm to the other planes!"

Mizuki waved her left arm. "Doing all this... it'll dispel my curse for sure, won't it? Fighting for other people's sake?"

"It's got to," Zoira said. "Curses are based on malice and selfish ambition, but this is the natural opposite."

Mizuki grinned. "Fine, then I'll help. I'll make sure to bring Morrel with me."

"I'll do everything I can," Morrel promised.

Kaida smiled. "Thank you, all of you."

The memory vanished, and Morrel found himself back in the healer house with Mizuki and Zoira.

"Whoa," Mizuki said, her face pale. "Never seen anything like _that_ before!"

Zoira toyed with the capsule in her hands. "I knew at once that I had to help. I've seen your planeswalking tracks, Mizuki, and noticed that there were traces of a passenger." She looked over at Morrel.

"I'm not a planeswalker," Morrel admitted. "But Mizuki's warped Spark can bring me as a passenger."

"As long as the curse persists," Zoira figured. "Once it's cured, Mizuki's Spark should stabilize. Let's make sure she can get you back home before then."

Morrel felt a chill. "That would be appreciated."

"So... we're all allies, huh?" Mizuki said. "A team?"

"We are," Zoira said with a smile. She stood and headed for the door. "Stay the night until you're better. You're in good hands; you'll be patched up by mid-afternoon."

"And then?" Morrel asked tentatively.

Zoira's smile broadened. "I have my own leads to investigate for the other three Sphaera shards, but... I've got another planeswalker friend on my side, investigating Lorwyn. I think he'll like having some extra help..."

With that, she left.


	8. Metal Man

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 8: Metal Man**

Azrael had no need for a balaclava or a breathing mask like most people on Dominaria these days; he strode across the war-blasted wasteland with just a protective bubble of blue mana, head held high. Not even the sight of crumbling buildings, scorch marks, and piles of skeletons of the past war could dampen his spirits today.

The reason for his good mood glittered in his hands.

Dominaria's hot, dust-laden winds were cut off as Azrael stepped into his makeshift headquarters, an abandoned temple that was in unusually good condition. Scavangers had cleaned the place of any valuables, but Azrael just needed the secure walls and even safer inner vaults for himself. After shutting the tall wooden doors behind him, he powered down his bubble and headed for the entrance to the temple's basement, the winds rattling the stained-glass windows as he went.

"There we are," Azrael murmured as he set the Sphaera shard onto a podium in the basement's main vault. Enchanted, wall-mounted torches provided steady light and the air was dry but mercifully cool.

The Sphaera shard sat there, still glittering with its inner light. It was silent, but Azrael swore he heard the voices of his people whispering to him inside it, like an aura spreading through the secluded room -

"Azrael."

A deep voice made Azrael jump. The man turned to see a four-armed, blue-skinned Mirrodin vedalken step into the vault, four swords sheathed at his belt. The vedalken wore a simple leather vest and a knee-length battle kilt and boots.

Azrael stepped back to let the man in. "Rohkan. Did you just get here?"

"I did." Rohkan's dark eyes widened as he took in the Sphaera shard. "You and Maretta succeeded on Kamigawa?"

"We did," Azrael said firmly. "Two visitors helped Maretta defeat the shard's holder, but Zoira snatched them away before I could sway them." His tone grew bitter. "No doubt that Zoira convinced them to help her, like she did Veldor."

Rohkan grunted deep in his throat. "Then I simply have two more targets. And I have news: your army on Lorwyn believes that a Sphaera shard is within a few days' march. But I suspect that Veldor may move to interefere."

Azrael waved a dismissive hand. "I have faith in you, Rohkan, even if Veldor and the newcomers try to stop you. I have one shard; I shall have another."

Rohkan nodded and turned to leave. "They'll trouble you no more."

*o*o*o*o*

It was at least another fifteen hours until Zoira and her kor friend deemed Morrel and Mizuki healthy. Morrel sighed with relief as his bandages were unwrapped, leaving a smooth chest and ache-free ribs. His white-blue-green mana felt strong and steady deep inside him.

"Now _that's_ better," Mizuki said as her right arm was unwrapped. She held it up and flexed the fingers. "Good stuff."

Zoira waited until Morrel and Mizuki got dressed, then led them to a secluded corner of the Tajuru camp.

"My ally told me that he may need some help," Zoira told them. "I've got some other leads to check out in the meantime, and no offense, but you'd both slow me down for the time being."

"I'm happy to help your friend," Morrel said.

"Thank you," Zoira said with a quick smile. "The plane you're visiting has no native humans, so you may stand out a bit. My friend will help you with that, though. He can explain the mission in person. Mizuki, I'll guide you to his last location on the plane. Follow me closely in the AEther."

Mizuki tilted her head. "Which plane is this, again?"

"Lorwyn," Zoira said simply.

"Aw, dammit." Mizuki made a face. " _That_ one?"

Morrel felt a chill. "What's the matter?"

Before anyone could speak, Zoira motioned to Mizuki to take Morrel's arm, and she focused her red mana to planeswalk. And once again, Morrel's sight went black as he felt himself crushed nearly into oblivion -

Warm springtime air wafted into Morrel's nose, and he coughed on the sweet pollen. His eyes watered as he opened them to a bright, merry sun in the blue, semi-cloudy sky.

Zoira was already gone, but Mizuki stood next to Morrel, arms folded. "What a bother," Mizuki said, making the same face as before. "Thought I'd never come back here."

"What do you mean?" Morrel asked with a grin. "This plane looks wonderful."

They stood atop a flowery hill, one of many dotted with fruit-laden trees. A wide stream burbled nearby, fish jumping in and out with loud splashes. Larger, rocky hills loomed in the near distance, covered in thick patches of forest. And judging by the patchwork fields nearby, this was a farm settlement.

Mizuki grunted and took Morrel's upper arm in her hand. She marched him over the hill. "Check _this_ out."

Ahead lay an idyllic village with thatched roof houses, neatly-tended gardens, and barns. Farmers and villagers in overalls and white shirts and straw hats were everywhere, the women in simple but colorful outfits. Mules dragged carts of hay and produce all over the place.

"They're the natives, right?" Morrel asked. He tried not to sneeze as the wind picked up. "Should we go say hello?"

"No way," Mizuki snapped. "D'you remember what Zoira said? No humans on this plane. We'd be freaks to them."

"Excuse me? Then what are they?" Morrel squinted, but aside from their short, stocky builds, the people seemed ordinary enough. Harmless, even.

"The kithkin," Mizuki said. "They're kinda boring. I've watched them before. In fact, they -"

"-they're the enemy," came a new voice.

Both Morrel and Mizuki whirled around.

"Definitely the enemy," the stranger repeated. "You must be Mizuki and Morrel. Greetings. I'm Veldor. Please come with me."

Morrel noted the man's fancy silver and brass armor covering his chest and arms, leaving his head exposed. He wore a black cape and boots, and dark blue pants. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with well-groomed brown hair and sharp brown eyes.

"Come," Veldor repeated. He motioned and strode off to a tree's shade.

Unsure what to make of this, Morrel followed Mizuki to join Veldor.

"Got to be careful," Veldor said in clipped tones. "Have scouted the region. Kithkin under Azrael's control. Use of thoughtweft. Most ingenious. And troublesome for us."

Morrel was reminded of Bantian rhox monks who would constantly mutter prayers and random thoughts to themselves, that inner intensity... "Slow down. Thoughtweft? And what's that armor you're wearing?"

Veldor rapped his gloved left hand on his chest with a clang. "Not armor. Etherium. My entire torso and arms, all upgraded. No flesh. Powered by my mana. Seamless connection to remaining flesh of legs and head."

"Whoa..." Morrel backed up a step in awe. "You're like those strange beings from Esper! Are you..."

Veldor nodded. "Born and raised. Attended university overseen by sphinxes. Spark activated when heart replaced with Etherium. Shock to body, you see."

Mizuki looked equally shocked and amused. "You're... half machine? Like some... metal man?"

"Strange to you, Mizuki?" There was nothing defensive in Veldor's tone, but it still made Mizuki recoil.

"Well... kinda depends on what 'strange' is..." Mizuki muttered.

"No matter," Veldor said briskly. He pointed a shiny brass finger at Morrel. "Was told that you're not a planeswalker. Dependent on Mizuki. Most interesting. Mutated Spark... curious to study. May not get chance."

Morrel cleared his throat. "Never mind that. What's going on with this plane? You said that you were studying it?"

Veldor nodded and pointed back toward the kithkin farming village. "All kithkin bound by thoughtweft, a unity of their thoughts and emotions. Sort of hive-mind. Azrael has infused it with his mana and mind. Spread from a few kithkin to all. Entire race under his control. All hostile."

Veldor rattled off these facts with a calm, analytical detachment. But they made Morrel's blood run cold.

"What are we supposed to do?" Morrel asked after a few seconds of tense silence. "A whole _race_ against us? Back on Kamigawa, is was difficult enough to fight Haijin-no-Imari's guards. But an entire-"

Veldor held up an etherium hand. "Silence. There is a way. Kithkin army is spreading across Lorwyn to hunt for anomalies in mana and behavior of other races. Way to find Sphaera Vitae shard. Indirect observation. Simply follow kithkin army, and when they find the shard, we move first. Their eyes become ours."

"Hey, that's not bad," Mizuki said with a satisfied grin, arms folded. "Make them do the work for us?"

"Only _that_ work," Veldor told her. "Kithkin employ many scouts, some in aerial balloon platforms. Must avoid them. Other races may also interfere as well. Tribal races here constantly feud. Skirmishes and raids very common, sometimes brutal. Elves, boggarts, faeries, and perhaps even treefolk and giants may move against us and kithkin army alike. May get caught in crossfire."

Morrel felt faint. An entire plane of danger and clashing armies... he had hoped that he'd left the destruction of the maelstrom war far behind. Not so, it seemed. The Multiverse teemed with danger.

Veldor's eyes locked onto Morrel. "Problem, Morrel?"

"Uh... no." Morrel shook his head. "I'm ready to start if you are. Where to first?"

"That way." Veldor pointed north-west. "Now that you're both here, mission can begin in earnest. Must meet a native friend of mine to help. Probably a day's walk from here, if he's still at last known location. Make haste."

And Veldor set right off, his black cape billowing behind him.

*o*o*o*o*

Lorwyn's cheery sun glided gently across the sky to the west, creating a golden red glow everywhere as it started to sink below the distant mountains and forests. Morrel hiked along with Mizuki and Veldor, ever alert for danger. Nothing yet, but that wasn't a guarantee. Maybe he was just far from the front lines. In any case, he often heart distant battle horns and rustling trees, and sharp cries and roars.

As late evening set in, Veldor came to a sudden halt a few dozen yards into a light forest. "Good resting point," he said. "Little activity at sunrest. Will make camp. Is anyone hungry? Can roast food on a fire."

Ten minutes later, Veldor roasted the wild rabbits and squirrels he had caught, and after he gathered fruits and berries, Morrel and Mizuki settled down to eat. It had been a quiet day overall, with Veldor insisting on silence to keep everyone fully alert and watchful. At least Veldor had explained his abilities: a stunner on his right arm, an extendable blade on the left, and hidden knives and poison dart throwers hidden all over his body. The poison, he said, he had found on some distant plane, since there was none on Esper.

"Whew," Mizuki said as she finished. She sat comfortably around the fire with the others, a look of contentment on her face. "Nice to finally relax." She looked over at Veldor, who sat in taciturn silence. "Don't _you_ ever relax?"

Veldor extended his left arm's blade and gently ran his right Etherium hand along its length, almost lovingly. "No need. Mind works best when at full capacity. Always alert. Here, however, you both may lower your guard if you wish. I can compensate."

Mizuki laughed. "You never stop, do you?"

"Doing what?"

"Your..." Mizuki gestured whimiscally. "Your super-analytical, machine-mind stuff. Are all Esper people like you?"

"Only the best ones," Veldor said. "Such as my classmates."

Mizuki made a face and turned to Morrel. "And I thought _you_ were a bit uptight."

"Me?" Morrel said in mock hurt tones. "I'm fun!"

"You hang out with rhox monks," Mizuki said slyly.

"Hey, Yerkel and I have fun together too," Morrel pointed out. "Like putting down invading monsters."

Mizuki rested her chin on her hand. "I've always wondered... how did you meet Yerkel, anyway?"

Morrel went red. "I-it's nothing."

A grin slowly spread across Mizuki's face. "Or is it?"

"It's kind of... shameful, actually."

"Now I've _got_ to hear it. Come on..."

"Well..." Morrel took one look at Mizuki's cheery face and relented. "I wasn't so tough growing up. There was no serious malice or rage on Bant before it collided with the other four worlds, but there was still everyday spite and pettiness. There were these other trainee boys who used to pick on me, tease me, all sorts of things."

Mizuki nodded. "Right."

Morrel sighed. "So one day in an apple orchard when I was twelve, I finally stood up to them and shoved their leader to the ground. The others, they..." Morrel cleared his throat. "They roughed me up and jammed me head-first into a tree's hollow, up to the waist."

"What!" Mizuki burst out laughing, but covered her mouth to stifle it when she saw Veldor's annoyed expression. "Sorry. But that's so..."

"Embarassing, maybe?" Morrel said, his face warm. "I was left in that tree all day, with just my legs sticking out! Until Yerkel found me and pulled me out. I told him what had happened, and he promised to give me extra training and mentor me to discipline my mind against my opponents. A year later, I beat that bully ringleader in ritual combat for all to see. I was never messed with again." A satisfied smile had crossed Morrel's face by the story's end.

Mizuki smiled. "That's the way to do it, Morrel! Kick everyone else's asses to prove you're on top!"

"It was for self-defense and honor, not domination," Morrel said indignantly.

"Yeah, sure."

Morrel narrowed his eyes. "And what about _you_? I took my turn; why don't you tell an embarrassing story?"

"Nothing happened," Mizuki said too quickly.

"Really, now..."

Mizuki went pink. "Okay, there was this one time..."

Morrel leaned forward to listen. "Yes?"

"When I was sixteen, my dad took me to Juka-no-Nadachi to buy a birthday present for this boy in my village. He was my friend, you see, so I wanted to get him something cool. My dad took me to a shop of fancy wall scrolls and other home decor."

"Like those expensive wall scrolls in Haijin-no-Imari's castle?" Morrel asked, recalling the exquisite hand-painted art in the castle's halls.

"Not _that_ expensive," Mizuki said. "Anyway, all the scrolls for sale were rolled up to save space, and sorted by genre." She went redder. "I found a bin for panoramic art and bought a scroll, then took it back to village and we started the party. Everyone was there."

Morrel raised his eyebrows. "Yes...?"

Mizuki squirmed in place. It looked like she was trying not to laugh. "So the boy was already opening gifts, and I handed over mine. I thought I'd look good, giving him something nice to put on his wall. He said thank you, and unrolled the scroll... but it was an adult, erotic painting! They must have mixed up their stock at the shop or something!"

"Oh!" Morrel stifled a laugh. "I've seen a few of those back on Bant, too..."

"It's not funny!" Mizuki said sharply, but she was fighting a laugh, too. "The whole villlage saw that I gave this boy a sex poster! His grandmother asked me if I was proposing marriage!"

Mizuki took a deep breath to steady herself. "Took a while to calm the party down. And even after that, every time someone had a birthday, they'd tease me by asking for a sexy poster for themselves!"

"Did you give them...?"

"No!"

"Had to ask." Morrel smiled.

Mizuki tossed her hair, her face still pink. "That's all you're gettin' out of me." She turned eagerly to Veldor. "Your turn. Tell us something embarrassing about you."

"If you wish." Veldor sat up straighter, if that was possible. "When I was a second-year student at my university, the professor gave us instructions for an essay on trans-metal micro-mana-infusions. However, I was catching up on other studies and paid little attention.

"We were to read aloud our essays to the class to prompt discussion. I went fourth and read my paper, and it was not until I finished that the professor angrily told me that I had researched mana-calibrating micro-conduits by mistake. All of my classmates were giving me the same expression: 'you fool!'"

Veldor folded his hands in his lap, waiting for a response.

Morrel and Mizuki just stared. "That..." Morrel started.

"...was the dumbest story I've ever heard!" Mizuki finished, wrinkling her nose.

"I was the class buffoon that day," Veldor insisted flatly. "Is that not amusing?"

"I was jammed in a tree," Morrel argued. " _That_ was a funny story."

"I gave my neighbor boy a sex poster," Mizuki reminded Veldor. "Now _that_ was embarrassing. The woman in the painting was nude, squatting over the man, and you could see her -"

Veldor shrugged his metal shoulders. "Different cultures, I suppose."

"Yours is a culture of nerds," Mizuki told Veldor. She glanced at Morrel. "No offense."

"Hey, I'm not the one studying micro-mana... whatever it was," Morrel said.

Veldor shrugged again and checked the evening sun. "Sun will rise in eight hours. I suggest you both get sleep. Will need it."

"Eight hours?" Morrel repeated. "So soon? The sun didn't even set yet."

"Never fully sets," Veldor explained. "Rests on horizon as an analogy to night, then rises."

"Oh. Well, good 'night', then." Morrel folded up his coat as a pillow and offered it to Mizuki. "Here."

"Huh? It's yours," Mizuki said.

"I'm fine. Use it for a pillow."

"Oh. Um... thanks." Mizuki took Morrel's coat and quickly turned away, but Morrel caught the grateful grin on her face.

Lorwyn didn't seem nearly so dangerous that evening as Morrel lay on the soft, grassy forest floor to sleep while Veldor kept watch. Everything seemed just fine.

But part of him knew it wouldn't last.


	9. The Reader

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 9: The Reader**

Rohkan wiped his brow as he stepped into the kithkin army's command camp. Lorwyn's warm afternoon sun beat down with a foreign heat, nothing like the ironically cool and dry sun of Mirrodin, his home plane. And the humidity here!

Around him, Rohkan saw kithkin soldiers, knights, and archers bustling around the hastily-erected tents, either sharpening their weapons, repairing armor, studying cow-skin maps, or feeding their gold-fleeced sheep mounts, or "springjacks". How amusing that knights around here rode into battle on sheep.

But Rohkan had heard stories about the springjack knights. Grusome stories.

"Is there any news?" Rohkan asked brusquely as he approached the general at her large tent.

General Seana Powys turned from studying her map and looked up at the towering vedalken. Her silver armor clinked as she moved, her cunning eyes glaring from under her helmet. "Scout squads four through eight have reported in," she said shortly. Although not even middle-aged yet, General Powys had an aura of iron around her. Rohkan was almost impressed. "Unusual activity around the Gwynoll Ridge ampitheater. And what's more..."

Rohkan leaned closer. "Yes?"

Now General Powys looked disturbed. "Three strange... beings... have been sighted not far from Yndel Clachan. Tall, like elves, but something else entirely. A man with exotic armor, a mage boy, and a dark-haired girl."

"They..." Rohkan blurted out, then caught himself. His heart suddenly raced. _Veldor! And with those two teenagers... Morrel and Mizuki, were they called? A Bantian, and a Kamigawa rogue, according to Azrael and Maretta._

General Powys narrowed her eyes. "They are other-worlders like you, are they not?"

 _Most perceptive._ Being an ally of Azrael, General Powys was already used to Rohkan's existence. But those other three... "They have to be removed quickly," Rohkan said at last. "Is Two-Blade here?"

The words barely left Rohkan's mouth when another kithkin, a soldier, stepped up and glared up at Rohkan. "Rohkan," he said. "What is Azrael's command?"

Rohkan found Two-Blade endlessly disturbing, given his abilities. But if Azrael wanted this thing under his control... "Three more other-worlders are here, near Yndel Clachan. They're probably also investigating the Gwynoll Ridge lead, so track them and destroy them before they get there. That's your expertise, isn't it?"

"No one escapes me," Two-Blade said earnestly. "If you want them dead, they're dead."

In his excitement, Two-Blade's eyes turned yellow and bulged in their sockets. Just for a split second.

Rohkan could only imagine Veldor's upcoming shock.

*o*o*o*o*

"No one followed. Good," Veldor said simply as he led Morrel and Mizuki along a stream's bank the next morning. They had just passed a kithikin town, or clachan, and Veldor had taken nearly an hour to determine that no scouts had picked up the three humans' trail. And unlike at the first town Morrel had seen, kithkin soldiers were stationed there, with a few knights on gold-fleeced sheep, or springjacks.

 _Now_ he was close to the front lines.

"Where are we going, again?" Mizuki complained as she trudged along the stream's bank.

"He's close," Veldor said as the trio stepped into the shadow of a huge, rocky hill topped with trees. The scenery was much wilder here, with more forests, massive hills, caves, and treacherous valleys.

Then, the ground quaked, and Morrel got his answer.

The quake was in fact a footstep as a towering being emerged from around the hill, almost like a piece of it had come alive.

Morrel gaped and stumbled backward, panicking as he took in the being's immense size, how each of its bare feet could crush him, how its cane was in fact an entire tree with its limbs cut off. "What the..." he croaked.

Veldor turned around and managed a small grin. "This is my friend."

"Veldor," the giant rumbled. "So good to see you, old chap. And I see you brought friends." His eyes rolled down to take in Morrel and Mizuki, far under his crooked nose.

"G... good day," Morrel choked out.

The giant laughed, a sound like an avalanche deep in his belly. "Never seen a giant before, boy?"

The giant must have stood fifty feet high, with mottled skin and knobbly knees and elbows. He wore a pair of knee-length pants made of countless animal skins sewn together with rope, and his belt buckle must have weighed two hundred pounds, made of solid, pounded iron. Thick black hair grew on his chest and knuckles, and his graying beard hung nearly to his belly button. He was balding, his head glinting in the Lorwyn sun.

"His name is Bragha," Veldor said. "Show respect, if you will."

"Y... yes," Morrel said faintly.

"What can Bragha do?" Mizuki asked. She tried to sound tough, but her eyes were wide with awe. "Besides step on things?"

Veldor narrowed his eyes at Mizuki's tone. "Bragha is an explorer and sage, Mizuki," he said sharply. "Highly observant and in tune with Lorwyn's mana. Knows much about every race. Forgoes violence in favor of wisdom. Was how he and I became friends."

"Haven't seen you in a while, Veldor," Bragha commented, taking a few earth-shuddering steps closer. He blocked out the sun. "Have you been exploring the other worlds?"

To answer Morrel's expression, Veldor added, "Quickly accepted the fact that I am a planeswalker, and that other worlds exist. Marvelous of him. Now used to the idea of humans. Until now, I was his only sample."

"So, new humans!" Bragha said, peering down at Morrel and Mizuki. "Younger than you, Veldor. Adolescent?"

"I'm 18," Morrel offered.

"Me too," Mizuki added.

"Both close to maturity, then!" Bragha said cheerily. Similar lifespan and development to kithkin, I presume. Sexual traits appear largely developed, at least."

Morrel saw Mizuki automatically edge away from him, her face red. "Whatever," she called up. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Respect!" Veldor hissed.

Bragha hummed to himself and leaned on his staff, looking all around the place. For a few minutes, he was silent.

"Uh, Veldor..." Morrel tapped the man on the shoulder. "What's gong on?"

Veldor glanced over his shoulder at Morrel. "Thinking. Do not interrupt. Useful."

Morrel turned to Mizuki and lowered his voice. "Looks like we've got two Veldors on our hands..."

Mizuki stifled a giggle.

Birds chirped and flew past, while fish splashed in the stream and the thick white clouds rolled by overhead. Morrel found himself relaxing, feeling almost like he was one with the environment. At least, his sporadic studies with Yerkel had taught him to try and achieve such peace. He could never manage the total serenity of a Bantian rhox meditating in a garden.

"That way," Bragha suddenly said, pointing at an angle futher along. "I remember the flow of every being there. There is a disturbance at the Gwynoll Ridge ampitheater. Something... odd."

"That is what I need. Thank you," Veldor said. "Am investigating something. Foreign object may be here. Need to claim it before hostile parties can."

Bragha recoiled. "Hostile? Veldor -"

"Not asking you to fight," Veldor added quickly. "Only to reach area of interest in time. Large stature should deter attacks in meantime."

Bragha studied Veldor closely. It was amazing how his huge, tired old eyes had the same look in them as Veldor's. "Asking a favor, my friend?"

Veldor stood like a statue, Etherium hands clasped behind his back. "Yes. A favor."

Bragha took another minute to think. "Veldor, I know that _you_ are a capable man. But what of the younger ones?"

Morrel felt a chill. "What do you mean? Aren't we coming?"

"Hmmmmmmmmm." Bragha knelt, his tree-cane creaking as he leaned on it for support. His warm breath huffed through his nose as his massive eyes analyzed Morrel and Mizuki. "You seem untested, boy. I can see it in you."

"See what?" Morrel fought the urge to step back.

"That look of a boy stepping into the world, and into his own shoes," Bragha said, half to himself, it seemed. "Common giant expression. You seem... unsure of yourself. Do you secretly fear what comes next?"

"I-I'm not afraid." But Morrel felt like Bragha had seen through his very soul. _Azrael and Maretta are enemies now. I know how ruthless and powerful they are... and there may be others..._

"Hey, _I'll_ come," Mizuki offered.

Now Bragha took her in with those eyes. "I can see through your facade, girl. Such pain and bewilderment at the world... you lost something dear, and can't admit that you're something less for it."

Mizuki's face twisted into a snarl. "Shut the hell u-"

Bragha extended a hand, his pointing finger close to Mizuki's head. "Gentle, now, child. You have power, but no faith in its nature, or where it may lead you. A burden... a curse. You pray that helping Veldor will cleanse you of that taint and give you a new direction in which to walk."

Mizuki faltered, her face settling into numb shock. "How... how did you..." She couldn't find the words.

"Bragha is sometimes known as 'the reader'. And not just for his love of books," Veldor put in. "He doesn't take on companions lightly."

 _He's testing us?_ Morrel stared up into Bragha's face. Something clicked in his mind. "I am Morrel, of Bant," he announced. His heart raced. Yes, I am just a boy, stumbling into the world for the first time. I am afraid!" He thumped a fist over his heart. "I may die far from home, or return to see it burnt away. But my faith in Veldor and Zoira's quest, and my friendship to Mizuki, give me strength, inside and out. I'll prove you wrong, Bragha. Whatever comes next, let it come!"

Mizuki jolted. "R-right," she said, tossing her hair. "I'm Mizuki, from Kamigawa, if you're interested to know. Look, Morrel's risking his life to help me, and I've got to pay him back, right? I'll watch over him, and make all this worth our time. And Veldor's a good guy. He'll back me up." She glanced at Veldor, but he didn't move a muscle or say a word.

Bragha took another five minutes to look over Morrel and Mizuki. Then he burst out laughing. "Humans, you have grit and heart worthy of a giant! Very well. Let us go. Friends, come aboard." He lowered a hand, palm-up, like a platform.

Morrel and Mizuki followed Veldor onto the hand, and slowly, carefully, Bragha lifted them onto the base of his neck and hunched over enough to make it flat for sitting on.

"Everyone comfortable?" Bragha asked.

Morrel felt a little vertigo sitting this high up, and without handholds. He felt his nerves tingle and his palms sweat as he glanced down. "Y-yeah."

"I never liked heights," Mizuki said faintly, her face pale.

"Do not complain. Bragha is granting us a favor," Veldor cut in.

Morrel swallowed. "Sorry."

Mizuki grunted. "Sure."

"So... Gwynoll Ridge," Bragha said as he lurched into motion. "Been a while! Shame the ampitheater closed down..."

The ride was surprisingly smooth as Bragha stomped across Lorwyn, his cane making crater imprints as it went. Morrel fet a gentle up-down as the giant walked, but he felt steady, at least. And as promised, Lorwyn's scenery rolled right by; each of Bragha's strides covered a lot of ground.

"Seen any kithkin around?" Morrel asked after a while. "Apparently, they're after the same thing we are. That's what Veldor told me. We should avoid them."

Bragha rumbled in his throat. "Yes... the kithkin have been more focused lately, really marching in force around the Ridge, the Gilt-Leaf forest, and flame-kin holdings. I haven't seen many today, but that could change soon." He cleared his throat. "Remember, Veldor: I'm not fighting for you. I'm not the same brash lad I was in my youth!"

"Of course," Veldor said simply. "Gwynoll Ridge is all we need."

"Right. Won't take long."

*o*o*o*o*

Zoira shivered and drew her recently-purchased cloak around her as she stalked down the sodden streets of Havengul. For hours she had combed the port city and eavesdropped on conversations between the Church's cathar guards, but nothing so far pointed to a shard of the Sphaera Vitae.

 _But then again, so much goes on around here, a shard's influence could blend in,_ Zoira thought, and she frowned. By what she'd heard, the archangel, Avacyn, hadn't been seen in some time, and the Church's protective magic was weakening by the day. Zoira overheard snatches of confused and worries whispers of more zombie attacks, constant disappearances, and soul-sucking ghosts incurring deeper into the city. The cathars and priests couldn't keep up.

Could it be a shard piece, driving these monsters mad? But she heard rumors of this happening in the other provinces, too. It was unlikely that all of the three last Sphaera shards were here on Innistrad.

Zoira's leather boots splashed in a puddle as she took a turn, passing by a horse-drawn carriage that had its curtains drawn. Not many people around here seemed willing to show themselves for long; they either hurried indoors or took secure carriages everywhere. It didn't help that the silvery moon kept vanishing behind the roiling dark clouds overhead.

The street ahead was nearly empty, and half of the street lamps had gone out. Zoira felt a tingle as she passed a trinket shop; was this a wrong turn? Maybe she should check the local graveyard and see what -

A strong, vise-like hand seized Zoira's arm and hoisted her into a dimly-lit alley. Zoira yelped in shock, stumbling as the person dragged her along.

"She was travelin' alone," the instigator said gleefully, a burly man in a black coat and grimy bicorn hat. "What d'ya think?"

Two more people closed around Zoira; another tough-looking man in a similar coat, and a short-haired woman in a blue-black mage's cloak. The woman's breath steamed in the chilly night air as she chuckled. "Maybe. Let me see more."

The other man tore off Zoira's cloak and took her other wrist. His free hand ran along Zoira's stomach and left leg. "Seems healthy enough," he said. "Hmmmmm, those ears... what happened to yer ears, girly?"

"Who cares?" The woman stepped forward, her right hand raised. Sinister, dark blue mana hummed on her skin, illuminating her sneering face under her hood. "Ludevic'll take anyone good enough. Hold her still and -"

Zoira's red mana aura flared up in an instant and the whole alley glowed. Blinded, the two men looked away for just a second, and that created the opening Zoira needed. From her left hand burst a miniature phoenix, and with a flap of its fiery wings, the bird blasted away the two thugs. They slammed against the sodden brick walls and slumped to the trash-littered alley floor.

"Hold still, you bitch!" The mage woman slashed her arm through the air, and her dark blue spell splashed across Zoira's chest.

 _Whoa!_ Zoira awkwardly fell to her knees as the spell sapped the warmth and energy from her body from the inside out. Her vision dimmed and her ears rang as the spell drained her. She watched as the woman towered over her, reaching toward her face with another spell -

The phoenix issued a flame jet that knocked the woman back, and Zoira felt the spell's pressure lift for just a second. With a defiant shout, Zoira pointed, and the phoenix swiped its long, elegant tail across the cloaked woman.

In a blast of smoke, the woman was torn in half, her pieces thudding to the alley floor.

Zoira wrinkled her nose against the smell of burnt flesh and dispelled her phoenix, huffing against the spell's lingering effects as it faded. _A blatant attack like that... I bet I wasn't the first. How many helpless townsfolk got dragged off to this Ludevic bastard already?_

Putting her cloak back on, Zoira strode through the alley and onto a new street, wondering if she could spare the time to wait until day to keep searching. _At this rate, I won't get any work done. And there's still the other provinces: Stensia, Gavony, and Kessig._

Making up her mind, Zoira shoved open the door to an inn, put a few silver coins onto the counter, and stalked up the stairs to find an empty room. _Veldor and the others had better finish up on Lorwyn and get over here! I've had enough of this plane already!_

She'd give anything to feel that warm Lorwyn sun on her face, if Veldor hadn't already taken up that plane to search. _Lucky bastard..._


	10. Assassin

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 10: Assassin**

"Wait."

Hours into his trek to Gwynoll Ridge, Bragha froze, his massive body tensed. He was near a heavy forest, the dark pines swaying in the wind.

"What's going on?" Mizuki asked, suddenly alert.

Bragha sniffed loudly. "I smell something... something horrible..."

Mizuki scanned the forest line. "Maretta?"

"Is it a human, like us?" Veldor sharply asked Bragha.

The giant took a careful step forward, his tree-cane creaking. "No, something else. Malice, cunning, uncertainty..." His nostils inhaled again.

 _We must be close to a Sphaera shard!_ Morrel thought. He tensed his blue-white-green mana for battle. _Or a good lead._ "Veldor, what do you think?" He turned around to face the stoic planeswalker.

Veldor got to his feet, his arms lax by his sides. He stared down at Morrel with a blank expression. "There's a lot of strange beings here on Lorwyn," he said simply. "It could be nothing. Right?"

Bragha grunted and scratched his balding head. "The smell... it's closer... very close..."

"Let me go look," Mizuki offered, getting to her bare feet. She flared up her black mana aura, her left arm's curse manifesting. "Be right back."

"No. Stay here," Veldor told her.

Mizuki raised her eyebrows. "Huh? Why?"

" _This_ is why." Veldor reached toward Morrel.

A long, jade-colored blade shot from Veldor's left wrist and right toward Morrel's face.

"Whoa!" Morrel rolled to the side just in time and crouched on Bragha's shoulder, his heart thudding in his chest. "Veldor, what -"

Veldor's right arm similarly morphed, his hand elongating into a blade. Another sudden thrust narrowly missed Mizuki as she slipped out of harm's way.

"Bastard!" Mizuki sprang at Veldor, her cursed arm extended in front of her.

"Mizuki, wait!" Morrel shouted.

Too late. Veldor crossed his long arms into an X, and his sword-like, jade-colored hands stymied Mizuki's attack. Black and green mana sparked from the point of contact, heating the air. Mizuki's arms trembled as she fought to break through Veldor's guard.

"Veldor!" Bragha shouted. "What are you doing?"

 _We've got no choice at this rate,_ Morrel thought. _We'll restrain him!_ He lunged, green-blue mana thundering through his muscles as his time dilation spell fired up.

The whole world slowed to a crawl, Mizuki and Veldor moving as though through thick mud. Morrel slipped past Veldor's freakish arm-blades and tackled the man to the ground, pinning his hands over Veldor's flesh throat. He felt a chill as Veldor's mask-like face stared back at him with those horrible, dull eyes.

With a rush of motion, the spell wore off, and Mizuki steadied herself on Bragha's back. She held her cursed arm over Veldor's face, black mana gathered on her claws. "What's your deal?" she snarled. "You workin' for Azrael now?"

"It probably does," came a familiar voice.

For just a second, Morrel dared to look up. What he saw shocked him.

Another Veldor had just climbed up Bragha's back, a nasty bruise on his temple. A silver blade had extended from his left wrist. "It's a changeling. Powerful," Veldor continued. "Ambushed me. Assumed my form to kill you both. Didn't make a sound."

 _A changeling?_ Morrel looked down at the fake Veldor's arm-blades. "Let's hurry and neutralize it."

"No, thank you." The changeling gathered its green-black mana, and in a blast of energy, snapped out its blade-hands.

Morrel hollered in shock and pain as the mana slammed into him and threw him off Bragha's back. He squirmed in the air, righting himself before he smacked into the grassy ground. He cushioned his fall with a pad of white mana, but it still jostled him painfully as he rolled to a stop.

Just as quickly, the others leaped down with him, but this time, there was one Veldor, and two Mizukis.

"She's the fake one!" said one Mizuki, pointing to the other.

"No, it's her!" the other insisted, pointing back.

"Changeling blocked my view with that spell," Veldor said tightly. "Lost track. Saw both Mizukis come down. Followed."

Bragha turned around, sniffing. "I can't tell it apart by smell with it so close to you all," he said. "I'm sorry, Veldor."

"I have another idea." Veldor turned to Morrel. "Ask a question."

"What... oh!" Morrel swallowed. "Mizuki, what gift did you get for your neighbor's birthday when you were sixteen?"

"An erotic wall scroll," the first Mizuki said quickly.

The other Mizuki snarled. "Very clever of you." She held out her arms, and her hands extended into jade-colored blades once again, slightly curved and very sharp. The changeling pounced on the real Mizuki, slashed its blade-arms through the air in a blinding pattern.

The real Mizuki raised her cursed arm to block the attacks, her arm's black mana sputtering with each strike. She leaped high overhead to strike the changeling from above, but she was too late; the changeling lifted an arm-blade, which extended even further and slashed Mizuki's ribs.

"Damn it! Hold on!" Morrel charged up his white-blue mana and threw up a barrier between the Mizukis, buying the real one time to land and move away.

Now Veldor charged in, Morrel at his side. In response, the changeling readjusted its extended arm and slashed a rapid pattern through the air, too fast for Morrel to track. Just as fast, Veldor weaved his left arm's blade to defend, meeting the changeling blow for blow. Neither warrior yielded, both digging their feet into the ground to brace themselves.

"Go, Morrel!" Veldor shouted over the clashing noises.

Morrel drew a knife and, with green mana pumping his muscles, charged.

His blade slashed the changeling's back wide open.

The changeling staggered, the flesh around its wound green like jade, and soft like dough. But it didn't bleed.

Still, the blow bought Veldor enough time to fire up a device on his right arm. A web of blue-black-white mana enveloped the changeling, and it shrieked, jolted by Veldor's mana.

Finally, Veldor slashed the changeling's head right off.

Mizuki hobbled over, a look of disgust on her face. "Good riddance to that bastard. Nice one, Veldor."

"My thanks," Veldor said, retracting his left arm's blade. "Must move on. Azrael may have more minions intending to intercept us like this one. So -"

Veldor froze as a long, blade-like arm thrust its way through his Etherium chest. Blue-black-white mana sputtered and fizzled in the wound.

"No!" Morrel stared in numb shock as Veldor collapsed. In his place stood the headless changeling, still in Mizuki's form, as it drew the blade from Veldor's chest. Then, its severed head melted into green ooze, slithered up the changeling's body and onto its neck, where it reformed in Mizuki's likeness.

"What an overconfident man," the fake Mizuki said with a fake sigh, looking down at the prone Veldor. "Now you kids are next."

Morrel looked over at Mizuki, who grimly nodded back.

The changeling growled, then sprang, blades whirling through the air.

At the same time, Mizuki hastily charged her black mana on her left arm's fingertip, and just as the changeling got close, she fired.

Sizzling black mana erupted around them both, blinding Morrel for a second as he threw up his arms to shield his face. Both Mizukis erupted from the cloud, already exchanging blows. Morrel leaped in, his knife at the ready. For just a second, he dilated time once again, and he prayed that his mana would hold out long enough for this to work. _If the changeling's head isn't needed, then what about the heart?_

Morrel knocked aside one of the changeling's blade-arms and thrust his knife at its chest, right where the heart should be.

The changeling was even faster. It drew back at the last second, and Morrel's knife barely cut into the its chest, leaving a shallow wound.

"What...?" Morrel staggered forward awkwardly as the changeling evaded his attack. He stared in shock as the changeling morphed its body into his own likeness, looking at his own sneering face.

The changeling's right blade-arm slashed across Morrel's chest.

Pain blasted through Morrel's body, and he felt hot blood soak his torn clothes as he sank to his knees with a gasp. Through the reddish haze in his eyes, he saw himself tower over him, his freakish left blade-arm descending for the kill -

Almost by instinct, Morrel threw up another white-blue mana barrier, and the changeling's blade-arm skated off its surface in a spray of white sparks.

Mizuki charged. She slashed her cursed arm's claws through the air and tore a long, crooked gash across the changeling's chest.

The changeling staggered back as Mizuki helped Morrel to his feet. "Can you fight?" she asked.

Morrel coughed wetly. "N-not for long. Quick, go for its heart!"

Mizuki sprang, and her cursed arm's claws plunged into the changeling's chest.

With a loud squeal, the changeling kicked Mizuki away, its face contorted with pain. Its skin flowed and churned like water, flickering through different human forms. For a second, it was Veldor, then Mizuki, then Morrel, then Veldor again.

"How dare you?" the changeling snarled as it approached with a limp. Its body became Morrel's, but with Mizuki's head. Its blade-hands waved threateningly in the air. "Damned kids!"

Morrel's insides went cold at the bizarre sight. _How's it not dead yet? Did Mizuki not hit it hard enough? Though if its power is corrupted like that, it must be nearly exhausted..._

Mizuki pointed her cursed hand's finger at the changeling. "Ugh! Just die, you freak!" She charged up a ball of black mana and fired a cone of destructive power right at the changeling.

The black mana blasted a long, wide trench through the ground, but the changeling had vaulted through the air and landed right before Mizuki. It slashed repeatedly at her, a determined snarl on its face.

Mizuki bobbed and weaved franticaly to evade the attacks, but cuts appeared all over her body, and she stumbled as one of the changeling's blade-arms cut into her left thigh.

Now the changeling shifted again: it had Morrel's head on Veldor's body, complete with imitation Etherium. Morrel watched his own face contort into bloodthirsty glee as the changeling brought down its other arm to stab Mizuki's throat.

"NO!" Morrel hastily threw out a hand, and another white-blue mana barrier popped up, deflecting the changeling's blow. The shapeshifter was vulnerable for just a split second.

Mizuki rolled under the barrier and slashed at the changeling's chest wounds, trying to dig into its heart. The creature yowled as Mizuki's claws scrabbled deeper into its jade-colored inner flesh.

"Get off me!" The changeling kicked Mizuki aside again, and it stalked toward her as she tumbled across the ground. Now, it fully assumed Mizuki's form, aside from its jade-colored blade-hands.

"Damn it..." Morrel crawled toward the changeling, but he was too slow, his mana too low, his chest bleeding -

Something dark flashed through the air.

Veldor was suddenly behind the changeling, his left arm's extendable blade impaling its chest.

"Get the heart!" Morrel shouted as the changeling squirmed around Veldor's blade. "Hurry!"

Recognition flashed in Veldor's eyes, and he withdrew his blade for just a second. He took careful aim.

The changeling seized as Veldor's blade sprouted through its heart.

"Y-you..." The changeling spasmed, its body morphing into a humanoid, greenish mass of jelly-like flesh. Its eyes were bulging and yellow, its mouth crudely shaped. But it spoke clearly. "E-even if you kill me, master Azrael... will get what he wants. You're too s-slow!"

"Who are you?" Veldor demanded. "Are there more of you?"

"I-I am Two-Blade," the changeling gasped. "Azrael's minions are legion. The kithkin, that blue outsider... your quest is futile, m-metal man."

Two-Blade made a rasping chuckle as it melted around Veldor's blade, and it dissolved into vapor soon after.

Veldor retracted his blade and suddenly fell to his knees. He clutched at the jagged hole in his chest.

"Veldor!" Bragha lumbered over, kneeling by his friend. "You're hurt..."

"Will repair Etherium on home plane," Veldor said dismissively. "Should take approxiamately one day. Morrel and Mizuki need healing. One moment." He detached his cape, tore it into bandages, and applied them to Morrel and Mizuki's wounds. "Will bring back medicinal capsules from Esper. It will heal you both within hours. Continue hunt for Sphaera shard without me. Meet me at Gilt-Leaf forest."

Morrel tested his makeshift bandage. It seemed tight enough. "You're leaving us?"

"Only temporarily," Veldor said flatly. He gathered his blue-white-black mana around him to planeswalk away. "Stay here until I bring capsules. Then proceed. Bragha will carry you as before. Make sure to visit Gilt-Leaf forest approxiamately 24 hours from now. Update me when I arrive."

"What are we gonna do if more freaks like Two-Blade show up?" Mizuki demanded.

Veldor gave her an odd look. "Fight or run. But in either case, _get that Sphaera shard before Azrael's minions do_. Understood?"

Mizuki sighed. "Yeah, sure."

Veldor turned to Morrel, who nodded mutely.

"Very good. Be careful," Veldor said. And with that, he was gone.


	11. Tydell ap Gleann

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 11: Tydell ap Gleann**

Morrel kept his mana tensed and readty as he and Mizuki carefully hiked up a steep, crooked path up Gwynoll Ridge. His booted feet worked loose small rocks that tumbled far into the pine forest below, and he felt a thrill of vertigo every time.

Veldor's healing capsules had done their job; traces of white mana still clung to his and Mizuki's skin, and Morrel felt stinging sensations every time he moved. He wasn't going to complain, though; it was faster than any healing he had ever had.

With a grunt, Morrel heaved himself over a small ridge and crouched in place, letting Lorwyn's bloody orange evening sun wash over him. He had left Bragha behind nearby to hide in a forest's edge, leaving him and Mizuki alone up here. With a lot of kithkin.

"Yup. There they are," Mizuki commented once she joined Morrel and shaded her eyes with her hand. "Little bastards..."

Morrel frowned as he watched whole platoons of kithkin soldiers climb up the ridge toward the huge ampitheater on top. Worse, a handful of two-person zeppelins hovered up the cliff face, their wooden gondolas laden with snare nets and bottles of colorful liquid. Poisons, maybe?

There was something else, too... a metallic rasping noise, like someone sharpening a sword. But it was far too loud to be any sword Morrel could think of. He turned to Mizuki. "Do you hear that?"

Mizuki nodded. "Like a sword being sharpened... think it's a giant?"

Morrel glanced back up Gwynoll Ridge. "If so, I hope it's not hostile. Probably best to just sneak around it."

"That's _my_ job," Mizuki said, putting her hands on her hips. "What d'you say? I'll scout the place, and you back me up."

"Are you fast enough to get a Sphaera shard before the kithkin do?"

"'Course I am!"

Morrel swallowed, his throat dry. "Then let's go."

Cawing birds glided overhead as Morrel made his way further up, careful to stay out of the kithkin soldiers' sight. He could still hear them, though, giving orders. One kithkin in particular, a woman, caught his attention: a general, and she was talking to someone named Rohkan. When he responded, his voice was too deep to be a kithkin's.

 _Rohkan? Is he another planeswalker working under Azrael?_ Morrel wondered. He muttered these thoughts to Mizuki.

"Maybe," she said quietly. She heaved herself over a rocky protrusion. "Kinda wish Veldor would hurry up and get here. He saved our asses against that changeling, you know."

"Mmmmmmm." Morrel felt like he was walking into the leotau's den, so to speak, recalling an old Bantian tale. He leaped over a small gap in the mountain trail, panting for breath.

The metallic rasping sounds got louder as Morrel and Mizuki passed under a decorative archway at the trail's top. Up here, Morrel saw a few scraggly trees and more decorative arches, crudely but elegantly hewn. Then he saw long, curving rows of oversized seats worked into a shallow stone pit.

The ampitheater!

And there was indeed someone there.

Another giant stood in the ampitheater's center, this one wearing a heavy gray pair of shorts roughly cut at the knees. It was a man, and he looked younger than Bragha... and twice as mean. He was sharpening a long, gold-bladed sword at a grinding wheel, with brilliant sparks flying through the air like fireflies.

"Quick!" Mizuki hissed. She took Morrel's hand and dragged him behind an archway's pillar, and the both of them pressed their backs to the wall, praying that the giant hadn't spotted them.

"I think he's got the shard," Morrel muttered.

Mizuki gave him a startled glance. "Huh?"

"Take another look. Be careful."

Morrel peeked around the pillar's edge as Mizuki did the same at the other end. The sparks had vibrant colors in them, like a prismatic display. And the air... there was something light but strong and supple in it, something intangible...

Then it hit Morrel. It was like at Haijin-no-Imari's castle, when that fragment of the Sphaera Vitae had been exposed! That infinite, multi-faceted energy, brimming with possibilities...

The giant grunted and stopped his work. He held the sword up like a trophy, looking over every square inch. And there, in the pommel, was a collection of random precious gems and gold baubles. In the exact center sat a quarter of a multi-colored, melon-sized opal.

 _The shard!_ Morrel realized.

Hastily, Morrel got back behind the pillar and met Mizuki's amazed gaze. "That giant's got it!" he hissed. "Right in the pommel!"

Mizuki had gone pale. "What the hell!" she cursed. "How're we supposed to steal that sword? I can't even carry it! Could you?"

Morrel shook his head. "Maybe Veldor's got some trick he could do. But he's supposed to meet us at the Gilt-leaf forest. We might not have time."

"I could get out of here and planeswalk," Mizuki said slowly, "and get Veldor here so he can help..."

"How? He's still hurt. I don't think we should bother him."

Mizuki stamped a foot. "Fine, then what's your idea?"

"Well, perhaps -"

Sudden sounds of clanking armor and footsteps cut Morrel off. Both he and Mizuki peeked again and saw the kithkin scaling the ridge's edge and spilling into the ampitheater. At the same time, the kithkin in the two-man zeppelins had drawn slingshots loaded with those poison bottles.

Among the kithkin stood a bald, blue-skinned man with four arms. He wore a leather vest and battle-kilt with boots, and four swords were sheathed on his belt. "Greetings," the blue man called up fearlessly. He towered over the kithkin, but wasn't even on eye level with the giant's knees. "Are you the one who has been causing a disturbance around this area?"

The giant growled in his throat and took a heavy step toward the assembled kithkin. In response, the kithkin crowded together into a defensive line. "So what if I have?" the giant boomed. He held his gold sword for all to see. "I needed mana gems to finish my masterpiece. Some had to be taken by force, but in the end... I finished the job." He ran a hand fondly along the sword's blade. "I call this sword Tydell ap Gleann. Slayer of Elves!"

"Slayer of elves?" the blue man repeated. Unlike the kithkin, seemed completely relaxed. "Why is that?"

"My name is Caldonn," the giant snapped. "Son of Wyell, and brother to Lundaa the Iron! Those elf bastards... they slew my brother! As 'punishment' for stepping into their forest! Who are they to claim that forest for themselves?"

"I am Rohkan," the blue man called up. "My allies and I are trying to restore the peace and keep kithkin clachans safe. If you promise us no harm, perhaps we could make a deal."

Morrel saw the kithkin general glance up at Rohkan, but he calmed her with a quick gesture.

"Deal, huh?" Caldonn grunted. "What could you offer _me_?"

"Support," the kithkin general said, stepping forward. She stepped forward and removed her steel helmet, then tossed her brown hair. Her intense eyes burned into Caldonn's. "I am General Seana Powys. I am no friend of the elves and their arrogance, either. They keep us from the forests and the sylvan bounties they contain! I offer my men in exchange for your aid."

 _Something's not right,_ Morrel thought. _Those kithkin are going out of their way to get this giant's help. Aid against the elves? No, they want Caldonn to lower his guard, and steal the Sphaera shard from him after fighting the elves! They're just baiting him out!_

So Azrael was ahead of the game...

"Hmmmmmm..." Caldonn knelt and scanned the assembled kithkin with his roving eyes. "You morsels think you can challenge the guards of Gilt-leaf?"

"The elves have harassed our clachans and military holdings for months," General Powys said forcefully. "We won't tolerate it! But our forces are stretched thin. Your aid would be most appreciated. We would sing of your heroic deeds for all time."

Caldonn threw back his head and laughed, scaring off the birds in the nearby forest. "Such heart! Worthy of a giant! I don't expect you morsels to survive, but if you stay outta my way, by all means, slaughter the elves with me! They think we're _all_ eyeblights to be winnowed. Why not winnow _them_?"

"Excellent," General Powys called up.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Rohkan added.

Morrel shrank back behind the pillar and faced Mizuki, his heart hammering in his chest. "This isn't good," he murmured. "If that giant goes off into some battle with the elves..."

"Actually," Mizuki said, a look of inspiration in her eyes, "this could be good for us. The chaos of a battle... we could ambush that Caldonn giant and take the Sphaera shard!"

"Excuse me?" Morrel gave Mizuki an appraising look. "You want to wade into a forest battle of elves, kithkin, a giant with a sword, and that Rohkan fellow?"

"Got another idea?"

"We could tail them with Bragha," Morrel offered, "and raid their camp at night when Caldonn's asleep. Then we work the Sphaera shard loose from that pommel."

Mizuki winced. "If anyone caught us, we're screwed."

Morrel weighed the odds. He didn't savor the idea of diving into an all-out battle for the forest with stray magic and arrows everywhere, but if he and Mizuki were caught in General Powys' camp, they'd be surrounded. For now, Morrel peeked around the corner again to watch the negotiations.

"I want _all_ the elves dead. Don't let any escape," Caldonn boomed. "And if you even think of stabbing my back..." He tapped the sword's tip on the ampitheater's rocky floor, making a loud clanging noise.

"Of course not," General Powys said. "We march for Gilt-leaf forest."

"One thing first," Rohkan said, and everyone tensed at his tone.

Caldonn narrowed his eyes. "What is it, blue man?"

Rohkan tilted his head. "Are you aware that there's two intruders listening to us? _I_ just picked up their scent. Faint, but there."

Morrel leaped back behind cover again, eyes wide, nerves tingling. "Angels protect me!"

Rohkan pointed. "Thought I smelled something funny around here... now I'm sure. They're right over there."

"Elves?" Caldonn said sharply.

"No. Outsiders, like me. Why not test that sword of yours?" Rohkan said. "They're enemies of mine. If you want our help, get rid of them."

There was a second of thick silence.

"Damned spies!"

The whole ridge quaked as Caldonn stomped over to Morrel and Mizuki's cover. Morrel heard a whooshing sound as he raised his sword and brought it down.

Morrel and Mizuki dived out of harm's way just in time; Caldonn's sword smashed the archway into a cloud of debris and dust, rocky pieces scattering everywhere. The giant lifted his sword again and snarled at the two exposed humans. "What are you?" he demanded.

Mizuki flared up her black mana aura and curse. "RUN!" she screamed.

They bolted.

Kithkin arrows hissed through the air as Morrel sprinted back the way he had come. He threw up a hasty barrier behind him just as another volley of arrows raged toward him. He heard pinging noises as the arrows bounced off his barrier.

Caldonn closed the distance with a few easy strides and brought down his elf-slayer sword once again. The whole ridge shuddered under the blow, and the trail vanished as the ridge's face collapsed.

Morrel skidded to a half next to Mizuki. "We've got no way down!"

Mizuki pointed. "Company!"

Two kithkin zeppelins had moved over to cut them off, their crews preparing their poison-bottle slingshots.

The kithkin fired their payloads. Once again, Morrel threw up a barrier, and the bottles shattered against it. However, the air was filled with noxious, colorful smoke upon the bottles' impact, and Morrel coughed. He covered his mouth with his coat's sleeve, his eyes watering. "Poison gas!" he choked out.

Mizuki coughed. "Flatten the barrier. We'll use it as a launching pad!"

"How?"

"Just move!"

The gas clouds hid both humans from Cladonn's sight for a few precious seconds, but that wouldn't last long. So, Morrel hastily flattened his barrier into a springboard, and both he and Mizuki crouched on it.

Mizuki gathered up black mana on her cursed arm and pounded the barrier.

The energy bounced right off the barrier, and Morrel yelped as he felt himself flung through the air with Mizuki.

The zeppelin crews were too late. Morrel and Mizuki caught one zeppelin's gondola and climbed aboard, and Mizuki threw out both kithkin with a quick swipe of her cursed arm.

"Come and fight me!" Caldonn howled, waving his sword. "Damned spies!" Around him, the kithkin archers drew back their arrows.

Morrel threw up another barrier and gasped as he felt the drain in his mana. He trembled. "Do something!" he wheezed.

Mizuki poked the zeppelin' balloon with a claw.

The zeppelin sank slowly and to the side as it leaked air. With another blast of mana, Mizuki steered the craft down to the forest's edge, where Bragha was waiting for them. All the while, kithkin arrows flew through the air. Most missed, and the last few merely bounced off Morrel's barrier.

Bragha slowly emerged from cover. "What -" he blurted.

The zeppelin drifted over Bragha's hunched back, and Morrel and Mizuki leaped from its gondola and onto Bragha's back. "Get us outta here!" Mizuki shrieked. "Anywhere!"

"What happened?" Bragha demanded as he lumbered into the forest for cover.

"We found what we sought," Morrel panted, "built into a giant's sword pommel. He's going to storm the Gilt-leaf forest and attack the elves, with the kithkins' help."

"Gilt-leaf?" Bragha repeated.

"Yeah. Veldor better come back and help us," Mizuki said bitterly. "Gods, I hate Lorwyn..."

It took some time to determine that Caldonn, Rohkan, and the others weren't in pursuit. Once Bragha deemed it safe, he carefully made his way through the forest and out the other side, headed over a rocky hill.

"I can reach the Gilt-leaf forest in about fifteen hours," Bragha said, his tree-cane making indents on the ground as it went. "Ten, if we don't stop to rest."

"Find cover," Morrel said wearily, "and wake Mizuki and I after five hours. We need to recharge our mana if we're to pull off... whatever plan we come up with."

Bragha agreed, and hid the three of them in a cave under a large hill. "You know," Bragha said quietly, "you humans are indeed impressive."

"Sure, thanks," Mizuki said groggily, then lay down to rest. Morrel did the same.

And unlike last evening, Morrel dreaded waking up.

*o*o*o*o*

"If I may say so, sir, your repairs are coming along well. Is there anything you need?"

Deep in Sharuum the Hegemon's palace in the heart of Esper, Veldor looked up from his repair table as a young woman stepped in. "No, thank you. But I appreciate the offer."

Veldor lay flat on the table's steel surface, several vedalken busily mending and refitting the broken pieces of his Etherium chest. Several bright lights stood on short poles nearby to light up the operation. Outside, heavy rain thundered against the windows and lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the carefully-arranged clouds against the grid-like sky.

The young woman, an official of Sharuum's, judging by her uniform, pushed her wire-frame glasses up her face and pursed her lips. "Your left arm... it was a gift from the Hegemon! Why would you discard it?"

Veldor glanced over at his empty left shoulder. "Prototype in development. Approved only this morning," he said. "Not told?"

The young woman shook her head, flapping her long, blonde hair.

Veldor motioned with his chin, and a vedalken picked up a sheet of scribe-metal and handed it to the young woman, who looked over its blueprints with awe. "This technology..." She swallowed. "It seems risky, difficult to use. Where did this idea even come from...?"

"Inspired," Veldor said, "by enemies. I assume all risks, of course. Left arm being used for mold. Will be returned to me when I am ready to leave this evening. Then, will pick up prototype after it is ready. Should be soon."

The young woman had no visible Etherium, but even she knew just what the implications were. "If this technology is proven viable," she said slowly, gripping the scribe-metal tightly, "it could turn the tide of the war in Esper's favor!"

Veldor nodded. "Yes, indeed. I am fine for now. Please tell Sharuum that I eagerly await prototype."

Gently setting the scribe-metal sheet aside, the young woman backed out of the room, her eyes locked onto Veldor's empty shoulder socket with anticipation until the door slid shut after her.


	12. Thieves

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 12: Thieves**

A squadron of kithkin zeppelins racing through the air in formation was Morrel and Mizuki's first sign.

"We've gotta be close, right?" Mizuki asked as she watched the zeppelins passed. She stood up straighter on Bragha's shoulder, her eyes wide.

Bragha peeked from around a flower-dotted hill, and he and his human mounts confirmed it: whole companies of armored kithkin marching to a waiting forest, the zeppelins directly over their heads. Groups of kithkin, mounted on gold-fleeced sheep, carved a wide path to the forest, no doubt a flanking maneuver in the works. Morrel had seen such a thing before on Bant.

Then there was Caldonn, his elf-slayer sword in hand.

"Hmmmmmmmm," Bragha said, rumbling in his throat. He leaned on his tree-cane. "Morrel, Mizuki, I can get you closer, but you will be seen. Perhaps this is where we part."

It wasn't a bad idea; there was no real cover past this hill, and Morrel didn't like the idea of kithkin arrows injuring his only native ally. Morrel turned to Mizuki. "Think we can go around and make our way through the forest for cover?"

"I guess." Mizuki grimaced. "Why the hell isn't Veldor here yet? This is such a pain without him!"

"Have faith," Bragha said. " _I_ do."

Morrel swallowed. "Okay. Let us down here. We'll find a way to reach Caldonn through the forest."

Bragha gently set both humans on the ground before him. "Watch yourself around Caldonn," he urged them. "I've known him for decades. He's one driven by stubborn pride and passion to a fault, even for a giant. He won't take kindly to you stealing from him."

"That opal shard isn't his to keep," Morrel said firmly. "We just need to get it before any of Azrael's minions turns on Caldonn to swipe it."

"A thief robbing a thief," Bragha commented.

"Hey!" Mizuki put her hands on her hips. "Who're you to judge -"

"Don't worry about it." Morrel put a hand on Mizuki's shoulder. "We've got to focus."

"Fine." Mizuki waited until Bragha lumbered off, then manifested her left arm's curse. "I hope you have the stomach to fight kithkin if we have to. They're people like us; it ain't like killing oni."

Morrel tensed his mana in his muscles. "I'd rather not kill anyone... but I'll do what I have to."

Quickly, but silently, Morrel and Mizuki raced across the sunlit field, well away from the main kithkin army. From here, Morrel could see General Powys leading the way with Rohkan, the former carrying a colorful banner, the latter holding his four swords at the ready.

Hunting horns echoed across the field. Birds scattered.

From the forest's edge burst countless humanoids in dark green and gold armor, bearing spears, falchions, and bows. Morrel squinted: the savagely beautiful people had ram-like horns on their heads and long, pointed ears like Zoira.

"It's the Gilt-leaf elves!" Mizuki blurted.

Thunderous shouts shook the air as the kithkin charged into the elves' ranks. Repeated clanging of metal on metal broke out, along with flashes of offensive mana and volleys of arrows. Kithkin knights pierced the elves' counter-attack right on the flanks, carving their way through the elves' ranks. For a moment, the elves shrank back as the field was soaked with their blood.

More elves, these in brown armor and with oversized claw-weapons on their hands, leaped into the fray. Kithkin were sent flying with impunity, their armor sizzling as the new elves' claws tore through them. Even from here, Morrel could vaguely sense the vicious green-black mana enchanting the elves' claw weapons.

"What are they doing?" Morrel said in awe.

"They're winnowers," Mizuki said grimly. "I've heard of them. They're totally sworn to kill all non-elf life, even in death."

 _They're nothing like Zoira,_ Morrel thought with dismay. _She's fighting to keep everyone safe from the Sphaera Vitae's power, but these people... they're just cruel!_

No time to waste. Morrel tore his eyes from the battle and reached the forest's shadowed edge with Mizuki, wary for any stray elves. He could hear Caldonn roaring and smashing the ground with his sword.

"This way!" Mizuki took the lead, sprinting through the woods and leaping over stray upraised roots and bushes as she went.

"What're we doing?" Morrel asked, pumping his arms to speed up. Mizuki was definitely faster than him.

"Those elves are gonna retreat," Mizuki said. "With Caldonn helpin' the kithkin, the elves'll try and regain the advantage in cover. Right now, I think they're just testing the kithkin and making a show of it."

Both humans took cover in a bush, and when Morrel peeked out, he saw Mizuki's point. Caldonn's sword, Tydell ap Gleann, blasted the elves aside with impunity every time it was swung. Already, several spears were lodged deep into the giant's legs, but even those bloody wounds didn't stop him. He cleared a path through the elves' ranks, and kithkin soldiers rushed to exploit the gap.

The hunting horns sounded again, and the elves leaped back to the forest's protective cover with astounding speed and grace. For a few seconds, the kithkin and Rohkan were awkwardly left behind, until they regrouped and charged right after the wily elves.

This time, the elves took the initiative. They sprinted up the trees and leaped down from the branches, completely bypassing the kithkins' defensive formations. Soldiers collapsed under the pressure, and the elf winnowers brutally singled out and tore apart the kithkin archers and mages. Springjack-mounted knights moved in, but they were just as easily repulsed.

"We gotta get outta here!" cried a kithkin, a sergeant by the looks of him.

"No! Keep going!" Rohkan retorted in his powerful voice. "Caldonn and I will take the lead."

 _What can that vedalken do, anyway?_ Morrel wondered. Yes, that Rohkan fended the elves off with great skill, but he had taken a few blows himself, and the elves weren't yielding to any more attacks. And Caldonn was having trouble striking the elves in the forest's confines, his sword catching on thick branches.

Then Rohkan made good on his promise.

Morrel automatically shrank back as the vedalken fired up his mana aura. The air shuddered and trembled under the pressure of red-green mana, the earth cracking and buckling under his booted feet. Green mana welled up in his wounds and sealed them within seconds.

"Well, _shit_ ," Mizuki whispered.

Rohkan flourished his four swords and pointed them right at the elves. Red mana gathered along their blades, then shot out four seething fireballs.

Elves scattered as Rohkan's fireballs blasted them across the forest. The kithkin charged again in the wake of Rohkan's attack, and just as the elves moved to counter, Rohkan fired another volley. Several elves were charred to ash where they stood. The acrid smell of burnt flesh choked Morrel, his eyes watering.

"G-got any ideas?" he rasped.

Mizuki made a frustrated noise. "We don't have much time. What d'you say we just go for Caldonn and try to get that Sphaera shard? Our odds aren't getting any better."

Morrel fought down a wave of dread. "Okay. Let's move out."

They burst from cover and around the battle's edge, angling toward the marauding giant. For a horrible second, Morrel thought he saw two elves turn to face him, but they were quickly drawn back into the battle. The kithkin, with Rohkan's fiery aid, definitely demanded all their attention.

Like an acrobat, Mizuki leaped onto a thick tree's lower branches, then made her way up, her bare feet landing easily on every branch as it came. Morrel slowly climbed after her, wishing that he was up against a shorter opponent. _This sort of thing is more her territory than mine._

Caldonn huffed with fatigue, trying repeatedly to thrust his gold sword at the elves, since he didn't have the room for a proper swing. The whole time, the gems on his sword's pommel glowed, their mana fueling the weapon's strikes. Every time Tydell ap Gleann hit an elf, the elf was vaporized under the sheer pressure.

Once Morrel and Mizuki were together on the same high branch, Mizuki focused her black mana onto her cursed arm. "I can try and pry the opal loose," she said. "Doesn't look like it, but these claws can do a lot."

Morrel nodded. "I'll keep everyone else off your back. From up here, I can see everything that's happening."

"Wish me luck."

"Angels watch over you."

Mizuki made an exasperated face, tensed her legs, and sprang.

As though in slow motion, Morrel saw Mizuki arc through the air, her arms outstretched, her black hair fluttering. She started to fall-

Caldonn growled as Mizuki dug her left arm's claws into his lower arm to catch herself. The giant barely even registered the human on his arm before she climbed down his forearm, onto his hand, and along his sword. She hung on tight with all four limbs, hanging upside down.

Rohkan whirled around. "You!" he barked up at Mizuki. "Think you're clever or something?" He aimed his swords at Caldonn's sword hand.

 _Here goes!_ Bracing himself, Morrel channeled his blue-white mana into his hands and thrust them forth, palms out. His hair ruffled from the sheer power output.

Pearly white barriers edged in blue popped up just as Rohkan's fireballs whooshed through the air. The barriers held for a second, then started to crack.

 _Such energy..._ Morrel bared his teeth and kept pumping mana into the barriers, but he knew that Rohkan would break through in seconds. _Mizuki, come on!_

Mizuki raised her left arm and brought it down on Tydell ap Gleann's pommel. Random gems were broken loose as her mana-infused claws smashed into them, but the Sphaera shard was still glued into place (maybe literally, Morrel thought). Again, Mizuki struck the shard, her claws scrabbling at its edges to work it loose.

With a pained gasp, Morrel released his barrier spell as Rohkan's fireballs broke through. He saw Mizuki flatten herself to avoid them, but one of them exploded on Caldonn's hand, buffeting Mizuki with flames.

"Damn you, Rohkan!" Caldonn snapped.

"You have a thief on your sword," Rohkan called up. "Just a moment. I'll get her off." And once again, he charged up his mana.

 _Nothing else for it!_ Morrel took a deep breath, summoned a mana cushion around himself, and jumped. He crashed right down on Rohkan just as the fireballs were launched, and the fireballs exploded against Morrel's mana cushion, shattering it.

Both Morrel and Rohkan were tossed aside from the point-blank explosions, and Morrel heard a ringing in his ears as he came to a halt, his whole body aching, his clothes scorched. His bones felt like lead, his head fuzzy.

Rohkan got up twenty feet away, his body horribly burnt. But as Morrel watched, Rohkan's green mana spread over the burns and wiped them away, leaving smooth, blue skin.

"You're really something, boy," Rohkan said, taking a few heavy steps toward Morrel. He twirled his blades as he went. "Risking your life for that thieving twerp..."

"NO!" Caldonn suddenly shouted. "My sword...!"

Morrel rolled over to look. Tydell ap Gleann had turned a dull, tarnished brassy color, its pommel completely empty. _Empty!_

Mizuki came running over, the Sphaera shard tucked under her arm. "Morrel!" she cried. "Come on!"

"Thief!" Rohkan snarled, his face livid. "That belongs to Azrael. Not to you!"

Morrel hastily threw out a hand and conjured another barrier, a thinner one this time. Rohkan's subsequent fireballs broke right through it, but the barrier dispersed the flames just enough to give Morrel a chance to flee. Morrel staggered to his feet and made for the underbrush for cover, praying that the elves would get in the way.

And they did. Curious, a cluster of elves moved over, threatening Rohkan with their spears as they went. "Who were you talking to?" one of them demanded. "Who else is here?"

"MOVE!" Rohkan slashed his swords in a rapid pattern, driving the elves right back. Not even their counter-thrusts could hold him back for long.

"Hurry!" Mizuki cried over the noise. "Morrel, can you run?"

"Y-yeah!" Wincing at the pain, Morrel tore through the dense underbrush, ducking under tree branches as he went, Mizuki right by his side with the Sphaera shard. Just a few more hundred feet, and they'd be clear.

A jet of flame lit up the forest with orange light. Morrel dared to look over his shoulder and saw Rohkan chasing after them, green mana sealing fresh wounds on his chest. "Don't you dare take that!" Rohkan yelled as he ran. "It isn't yours!"

"Oh, shut up!" Mizuki stopped and pointed her cursed hand's finger, gathering mana at the tip. She issued an earth-shuddering blast of black mana.

Rohkan crossed his swords together into a shield, flooding them with green mana. Mizuki's spell crashed right onto his defensive wall, and when the combined green-black mana faded, Rohkan was left standing, his skin smoking a bit but otherwise unharmed. "Nice try, thief," he snarled. And he sprang.

With shocking speed, Rohkan was suddenly right before Morrel and Mizuki. His swords wove a pattern through the air, separating his opponents from each other instantly. Morrel saw Mizuki block a few blows with her cursed arm, but another sword cut a long gash along her chest. Mizuki stumbled back, dropping the Sphaera shard.

 _No!_ Morrel pumped his green-blue mana through his muscles, but he felt himself wearying fast. Now, or never.

Time slowed down enough for Morrel to slip through Rohkan's attack and rejoin Mizuki. He kicked twice along the way, knocking two of Rohkan's swords right out of his hands. Then, a hard punhc connected with Rohkan's jaw, snapping the vedalken's head to the side.

Too soon, time snapped back to normal. Rohkan blinked in surprise.

"Not bad, boy." Rohkan retaliated with an upward kick, lifting Morrel into the air for just a second.

One of Rohkan's two remaining swords arced through the air.

Morrel dimly registered the sharp blade going right through his left upper thigh, right at the hip.

Hot blood splattered through the air, and the gruesome display seemed slow to Morrel, as though performing another time dilation spell. But he knew that it was just shock. In another few seconds, he'd surely get killed. _I was too slow... I'm dead._

Morrel fell to the ground with a thump, his whole left leg lying a few feet away, more blood leaking from its severed end. He vaguely heard Mizuki stifling a shocked scream of horror and fury, and when Rohkan said something back, his voice sounded garbled, as though underwater. Rohkan advanced again -

A crackling net of blue-white mana sprang onto Rohkan and bound him. The vedalken dropped his last two swords and went rigid. "What the -"

Morrel fought not to pass out, his last bit of green-white mana holding the bleeding at bay. He focused, and saw Veldor striding through the underbrush, his right arm extended.

"Stun net," Veldor said. "Like it? No? Good."

"Y-you..." Rohkan gathered his red mana and released it in a blast, tearing apart Veldor's net. He scooped up his swords. "Veldor! You're finally here, huh? Babysitting these two?"

Veldor extended his left arm's blade. "Taunts ineffective. However, your fireballs make for excellent beacon. Easy to find you once I arrived. Glad I'm not too late; needed a bit of time to fully repair chest."

Snarling, Rohkan leaped.

Veldor braced himself, rapidly blocking each of Rohkan's blades as they came, fueled by his tri-colored mana. Then, Veldor ducked under Rohkan's assault and slashed at the vedalken's knee.

Rohkan staggered for a second, then retaliated with a kick that stunned Veldor for a split second. The vedalken's four blades slashed all over Veldor's chest, throwing out sparks as they tore into the Etherium.

Just as quickly, Veldor swung his left arm's blade upwards and swept aside Rohkan's marauding swords in one efficient stroke. His right fist slammed into Rohkan's cheek, and Morrel actually saw a few teeth get knocked out. Before Rohkan could react, Veldor stabbed his left arm's blade right into the vedalken's chest.

"Im... impressive," Rohkan said with a wet cough. He staggered back, licking his bloody lips. Already, green mana was oozing up into his wound, sealing it. But to Morrel's eyes, the healing spell seemed to be running low on mana...

Veldor stalked forward. "Hold still. Will be faster that way."

"Back off, creep." Rohkan aimed his four swords and released a quartet of fireballs, all of which homed in on Veldor and detonated in a blinding display. Through the haze of flame, Veldor was hurled back and slammed into a tree, then crumpled to the ground, his whole body smoking.

"N-no..." Morrel reached out, as though to grab Rohkan and hold him back.

It was no good. Rohkan casually flicked another pair of fireballs at Mizuki, driving her back deeper into the forest for cover. Then, as Morrel watched helplessly, the vedalken sheathed one sword, scooped up the fallen Sphaera shard, and sprinted away, in the opposite direction of the main battle. Green mana sealed his leg wound and sped him up; he bound through the forest like a gazelle, much faster than any human could run.

Veldor sprang to his feet. Small ports on his Etherium chest opened up, revealing dart throwers. Silver darts hissed through the air and chased after Rohkan, but the vedalken weaved through the trees and allowed the darts to strike the tree trunks instead. In seconds, Rohkan vanished from sight.

"Ch-chase after him!" Morrel cried out weakly.

Veldor shook his head and knelt over Morrel. "Too late. My legs not strong enough to pursue. Etherium augmentations in arms, not legs."

"But -"

"Rohkan must have planeswalked by now," Veldor said flatly. "Azrael must have taught him and Maretta some trick, because I have never been able to find their footsteps in the AEther. They mask it somehow. Can follow Zoira and Mizuki, however."

Morrel sighed. Was that it? They lost?

Veldor tapped a brass-colored finger on Morrel's wound and infused a bit of white mana into Morrel's own. "Strengthened your mana seal," he said. "Should hold while we make our way out of here."

"Where -" Morrel gasped, but he couldn't hang on. He watched Veldor help Mizuki to her feet, then his vision faded to black.


	13. Academia

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 13: Academia**

Morrel's vision slowly faded in from black. His blood thundered in his ears, his breaths like a gale. His whole body felt cold and stiff, and his mind, groggy. _Where..._

"Morrel," came a familiar man's voice. "Don't try to stand. Body still recovering. Stable, though. That's the good news."

"Veldor?" Morrel croaked. He slowly sat up, shaking his head and blinking his eyes. Veldor handed him his glasses, and he slipped them on.

The room was small but warmly lit, its walls a soothing copper color streaked with silver. A square window revealed a slate cliff dotted with crystalline trees, and a churning sea beyond that. A silver sun hung low on the horizon, glowing off the smooth-bottomed clouds and grid lines in the sky.

Morrel felt a thrill as he bolted upright. "Esper?" he blurted, then winced. His head throbbed.

Veldor's cold hands eased Morrel back down. "Careful," he said. "Still recovering from trauma. Body needs to get used to upgrade."

"Up... what?" Morrel realized that he suddenly felt his left leg again. _Don't tell me..._ He looked down.

A silver-plated leg greeted him, blue-white mana pulsing in filaments between the plates.

"Etherium enhancement. Pulled many strings to get it," Veldor explained as Morrel tentatively ran his hands along the limb. "Be grateful. Is a blessing."

"No! No..." Morrel panted for breath, his mind reeling from the sight. He remembered Rohkan's sword slicing through his hip back on Lorwyn, his original leg falling into the underbrush nearby, blood everywhere -

Morrel flumped back down on the padded bed. His mouth felt dry. "I've trained for combat since I was five. Part of me has always been ready for... for something like this." He pounded a fist on his bed, his chest heaving. "Doesn't make it much easier, though. Damn it!" He grated the last two words.

"Not giving up on you," Veldor said sternly. He ran a brass hand through his upright brown hair. "Had a surgeon here. Gave you standard trauma-dampening matrix in your mind."

Morrel grunted. "I'm sorry?"

"Eliminates most of the trauma," Veldor explained patiently. "No risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, phantom pain, or other side effects. Has been used often since Esper's collision with other shards. You will be travel-ready within days, rather than months."

"I... had no idea something of the sort existed."

"Upgrading the body and mind involves understanding what is already there. Therefore, body and mind alterable to fine degree," Veldor said. He ran a hand over his freshly-repaired chest. "But some trauma unavoidable. As I told you before, my planeswalker Spark activated when my heart and other organs were replaced with Etherium and mana filaments. Ended up on strange plane called Shandalar. Immediately planeswalked back here for final adjustments."

"Right." Morrel ran a hand along his own artificial body part, wondering what Yerkel and his brother Rafael would make of this. "So, what now?"

Veldor was suddenly all business. "Quest incomplete. Two Sphaera Vitae shards now in enemy hands. Need you at full capacity to help Zoira and I to recover them and the other two."

Morrel groaned. "I should just go home. I'm not cut out for this. Back on Lorwyn, Rohkan easily -"

"NO!" Veldor's face was suddenly manic. He gripped the edge of Morrel's bed. The metal creaked under the pressure. "Sworn to aid us, Morrel. Do you not remember stakes? Sphaera Vitae will destabilize AEther, and resulting ripples will damage multiple planes. Many lives lost. Kaida entrusted this mission to the _four_ of us."

"I..." Morrel wilted under the intensity of Veldor's stare. He tried to swallow. "I failed, Veldor. _We_ did."

"For now," Veldor said, letting go and standing upright. He seemed to relax. "Still two Sphaera shards left. Will slow down Azrael's plans considerably if we obtain one and hide it."

 _That's true._ By what he'd been told, Morrel could tell that Azrael needed all four shards at once to rebuild his artifact and make it work. Otherwise, they were just hunks of magical mineral. He sighed. "I've got a long way to go, don't I?"

"Yes."

"Where are we, anyway?"

"Cae'Xan University," Veldor said. "This is medical wing. Doubles as workshop, for Etherium enhancements." His tone grew nostalgic. "My old college."

Morrel gave Veldor an appraising look. "You're alumni here?"

"Yes. Well-esteemed. Now, if it comforts you, will get surgical students here to apply flesh sheath over leg."

"Students...?"

"Be at ease. Well-educated surgeons. Well on their way to advanced degrees. Can trust them." Veldor put on what he must have hoped was a comforting, paternal look.

Morrel licked his lips, willing his body to relax. But that leg... it seemed to mock him, no matter how fancy Etherium was. A part of him was gone... "Okay. I wouldn't want Mizuki or Zoira to see me like this."

"Of course." Veldor made for the door. "Mizuki resting in guest housing. Already healed. Will want to see you later, I presume."

"Yeah." Morrel stared at the ceiling as Veldor headed out.

*o*o*o*o*

"Whoa. You're pale."

Mizuki turned to greet Morrel as Veldor escorted him into Cae'Xan University's main lobby, hours after first waking up here on Esper. Veldor stood nearby as students bustled up and down the place, human and vedalken alike.

Morrel forced a grin. "That's what happens when you get the hell knocked out of you." His old clothes had been discarded, and he now wore a long-sleeved white shirt, dark blue pants, and black boots with silver fastenings. Mizuki had a similar outfit that complimented her figure.

"Yeah, well..." Mizuki's face fell. "I was... kinda worried. You looked pretty bad, and not just from missing your leg." She swallowed nervously and looked down. "How's it feel? Is it, you know... metal?"

Morrel slid up his left pant leg to the knee. "Vat-grown flesh, Etherium under that. The skin is warm to the touch." He lowered the pant leg. "I'll have to learn to get along. What about you? Healed okay?"

" _I'm_ fine," Mizuki said, an odd look in her eyes. "I didn't get diced up." She snarled. "Next time we see Rohkan, I'm gonna -"

"Hey." Morrel reached out and took Mizuki's shoulders in his hands for a few seconds, his eyes on hers. "We'll worry about that later. I'm sure Veldor and Zoira have a plan. It's fine."

He tried not to show the cold dread that he felt welling up inside him.

Mizuki's expression softened. "Okay. I guess you're right."

"Counter-strategies are possible," Veldor said. "May discuss with Zoira soon. Until then..." He put his metal hands on his hips, his eyes like ice chips. "Training. I brought you both here to access university's combat arenas. Must prepare you for next encounter. Unsure what we will find."

Mizuki wrinkled her nose. "Just how long are we staying here?"

"Days. Whatever needed to unlock potential," Veldor said sternly. "Morrel lost left leg, and Rohkan claimed second Sphaera shard. Unacceptable. Must redouble efforts, you understand me?"

"We could also visit Bant. It's close," Morrel offered. "The rhox monks could teach us -"

"No," Veldor said, his voice like a blade. "Will train you personally. Not welcome on Bant. That plane's inhabitants too slow and methodical, in any case."

"Slow and methodical?" Morrel repeated. "We of Bant have a long tradition of -"

Veldor waved a hand. "Esperites faster at learning. We have methods to strive for success. Sometimes end with resounding success. Other times, subject stressed to breaking point."

Morrel gawked at Veldor. His feeling of unease deepened. "Just what are we going to do?"

Veldor whirled around and stalked off, his black cape billowing behind him. "Follow. Will show you martial arts and golem construction wing."

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel never thought that Esper could be so noisy. As he and Mizuki followed Veldor through the well-lit halls, they passed rooms filled with humans, vedalken, and humanoid constructs sparring at high speed. Bodies whirled and flipped through the air, blades clashing at blinding speeds. Blue, black, and white spells arced through the air. In other rooms, artificers busily put together golems for combat, complete with blades, bludgeons, and armor plating.

All for the maelstrom war...

"Trained here myself," Veldor said over the noise as he led his party into a workshop. "And body was designed by this talented lady."

A brunette woman in her mid thirties looked up from her workbench, gold-plated goggles over her eyes. Half-finished devices and mechanical limbs were all over the table's cobalt surface, and just as many hung on the ceiling or were crammed into shelves.

"Veldor!" The woman sprang up from her stool, lifted the goggles, and waved a gloved hand. "Excellent to see you again. Body holding up well, I see. Excellent. Honors me."

The woman turned to Morrel and Mizuki. "Newcomers. Not local, I presume. Boy from Bant?"

Morrel gaped. "How could you tell...?"

"Eye for these things," the woman said. Her voice was just as brisk and clipped as Veldor's. "Name's Olivia. Pleased to make acquaintance. Apologies for mess. Not expecting company today."

"You build all these things?" Mizuki asked, taking in the room.

"Mmmmmm. Yes. Build. Also repair works of others," Olivia said distantly. She clapped her hands. "Clean-up! Now!"

From a side door marched six petite blue-skinned beings, their bald, child-like heads and dark eyes totally exotic to Morrel's eyes. They wore black jumpsuits with white cuffs and collars.

"What the...?" Mizuki blurted as a blue child brushed past her. She stumbled back.

"Not seen homunculi before?" Olivia said, clearly amused. "Menial workers. Created them myself." She looked over at Morrel. "Like your leg."

Morrel felt a chill. "That was _you_?"

Olivia nodded. "Owed Veldor here a favor, so I over saw construction and reattachment of leg. Veldor helped defend university from Grixis attack, and personally escorted me out until the danger passed."

"Well, um... good work on my leg, Olivia."

Veldor stiffened. "Olivia is best artificer in Cae'Xan University. Must show full respect!"

Olivia laughed. "Veldor! Still doing that? Ridiculous. Pride not damaged. Outsiders unaware of social norms here."

"Ugh. You even _talk_ like him," Mizuki said, rolling her eyes, arms folded.

"Shouldn't be surprising, considering blood relation," Olivia said. Then, seeing the look on Morrel and Mizuki's face, rounded on Veldor. "Didn't tell them?"

Veldor shrugged. "Seemed irrelevant. Very well. Morrel, Mizuki, this is my cousin. Attended university one year ahead of me."

"Cousin, huh?" Mizuki said, eyeing up Olivia. "Huh. I can kinda see the resemblance. I hope you have a better social life than Veldor."

"What -" Veldor started.

"Come on," Mizuki said, grinning. "I know your type."

"I have eleven friends, eighty-four aquaitances, thirteen business parters, and one fiance," Olivia said simply.

Mizuki's jaw dropped. "You're _engaged?_ Congrats!"

"Appreciated. Look." Olivia slipped off her left glove to reveal a silver ring on her middle finger with an inlaid sapphire. "Fiance proposed four weeks, two days, and six hours ago. Excellent moment for us both. Wedding ceremony due in two weeks, four days, and three hours. Set during evening. Sunlight calculated to create 'magical' atmosphere."

Mizuki recoiled at the flat recitation of facts. "That's... not like the weddings where I come from." She was clearly fighting to keep her face straight.

"My social life also substantial," Veldor offered. He didn't seem even remotely abashed. "Ninety-four business parters and... let me see... two hundred and three acquiantances across the Multiverse."

"No friends?" Morrel said. "There's got to be some..."

Something odd flickered in Veldor's eyes. His pale face went slightly pink. "Not needed. And certainly no fiancee. But will attend Olivia's wedding, of course."

"Right. Sure," Olivia said, then knelt by Morrel's left leg. She tapped the knee. "Working so far?"

"Uh... yes." Morrel swallowed. "Will it need regular maintenance or something?"

"Perhaps. If damaged," Olivia said, standing back up. "Will have to remove and replace flesh sheath afterwards. Until then, please test it in combat with my cousin here." She smiled. "He is brutal. Leg will be tested to logistical maximum."

Morrel flinched. "I... see." _Now there's three Veldor types out there! Like Bragha wasn't enough..._

"However," Olivia added, "if you impress Veldor, I will give a gift." She clapped her hands again.

From the doorway emerged a seventh homunculus, this one with blue and white robes. He strode over to Olivia's side with his chin held high, his hands clasped together.

"This is a sensory-type homunculus, a spare that I have had around. Also effective compass," Olivia said, clapping the homunculus on the head. "He's yours if you earn it. You can even name him."

"That sounds pretty useful," Morrel commented. "That's generous of you."

"Look at him!" Mizuki broke into a wide grin as she knelt by the homunculus in question. She rubbed a hand gently on his blue head. "What a cute little guy. If we get him, I wanna name him."

Morrel grinned back. "Deal."

"Now," Olivia said, pointing to the door, "we go separate ways. I have golems to repair and components to fix. Veldor... you have two teenagers to beat into fighting shape."

"Looking forward to it," Veldor said briskly.

 _I bet he is,_ Morrel groaned in his head.


	14. Melee

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 14: Melee**

"Watch carefully, Rohkan."

In his temple home's basement on Dominaria, Azrael held up the newly-acquired Sphaera shard while Rohkan watched. Gently, Azrael set the new shard onto the first piece's linen-draped podium and pressed them together, filling the space between them with his blue-black mana. He closed his eyes as he mentally recited the formulas for the Sphaera Vitae's inner spells. If anyone else tried to do this...

White light glowed through Azrael's eyelids, making his vision reddish. When he opened them, he found the shards fused into a dome, without the slightest crack or line where they had come together.

 _Halfway there..._

Rohkan tentatively reached out and ran his blue fingers along the demi-sphere's surface. The artifact's multi-colored light pinpricks seemed to gather at his fingers, like an excited crowd. "Remarkable..."

"You've done well, Rohkan," Azrael said, clapping the bigger man on the shoulder. "When the Sphaera Vitae is done, you'll certainly have your reward, as will Maretta."

"Yes, about that." Rohkan's dark eyes became inscrutable. "Azrael, in deference to your privacy, I haven't asked much of your people's ways, or what you know of artifice and magic. But our enemies are growing stronger. Veldor, together with those teenagers, nearly overpowered me on Lorwyn. It took all I had to collect the second shard and planeswalk here."

Azrael lowered his hand, trying to keep his apprehension off his regal features. "Yes...?"

"I never tolerated the enigmatic ways of my people on Mirrodin," Rohkan said with clear distaste. "I prefer the tangible... and honesty. What exactly will you give me in return for the Sphaera Vitae's reconstruction? I'd rather you be clear on your vague promises. I... had to ask you this."

"Hmmmmmm." Azrael considered his vedalken ally. "It's only fair of you to ask. The problem is, my sister's memory capsule was stolen. By Zoira, that is. Kaida's memory urged that elf wench to try and stop me!" He clenched his hands into fists. "Kaida remembers everything of our life together, before the invasion. She could show you what sorts of things we learned and could do. Those secrets would be yours... if we somehow retook that memory capsule."

Rohkan's hairless brows met. "Zoira's been a slippery one. Maretta and I have always been one step behind her. It doesn't help that Veldor is an even bigger nuisance."

Azrael shrugged. "Not for long. Maretta assured me that she would find a way to trap Zoira on Innistrad and destory her. As for how, that's to be seen. If we get that capsule, I'll show you just what you and Maretta stand to gain."

Although Rohkan looked pleased, Azrael felt a chill. Was his charm spell starting to wear off? That enchantment had ensured Rohkan's and Maretta's loyalty, but for a demand like this to come up...

Maretta was wily, but Azrael couldn't guarantee that she'd retake that memory capsule. Azrael's enemies were getting savvier by the day.

Maybe it was time to make another friend. A real one, this time.

Azrael stepped out of the stone-walled vault, his boots loud on the floor. "Be on your way, Rohkan. Perhaps Shandalar, or Tarkir next. Or Regatha; I believe you'd appreciate the temperament of the Keral Keep monks."

Azrael didn't turn around until Rohkan had already planeswalked away.

 _Kaida,_ Azrael thought, clenching his jaw as unwanted memories welled up. He shut his eyes again. _Somehow, someway, I'll see your face again. Please forgive me for what I've done._

He'd never forget seeing her body being vaporized as the Sphaera Vitae had overloaded, and the sight vanishing from his eyes as he planeswalked for the first time...

*o*o*o*o*

"Come on, Morrel. This'll be fun!"

Mizuki beamed as she dragged Morrel up a fight of stairs and onto a rooftop training field.

Morrel grunted. "Sure." Although his left leg was restored, in a sense, he felt like he had left something else back on Lorwyn.

Pride? Faith? Honor?

The training field was a smooth, semi-reflective gray metal. Several test dummies sat piled in a corner, and beyond the university's roof, waves crashed on the granite shore far below. The cool morning sun made the whole ocean glow underneath the puzzle piece-like clouds. A pair of brass gargoyles swooped by far overhead.

"Good. Both here," Veldor said. He had clearly been waiting, standing in the arena's middle, Etherium arms folded, a stern expression on his face. "Ready for business?"

Mizuki let go of Morrel's hand and confidently strode toward him. "C'mon, Veldor. Let's -"

"Morrel first," Veldor said, shaking his head once. "Must test leg. Eager to see..."

"Oh. Okay, whatever." Mizuki made a face and sat on the arena's edge, marked by yellow paint.

Morrel swallowed and stepped forward, his heart racing as he welled up his green-white-blue mana. It still felt odd, having part of his mana course through that Etherium leg. "Okay, I'm here."

"Can see that." Veldor unfolded his arms and stepped forward, firing up his own mana aura. The very air shuddered under the pressure. "Unfortunately, working on tight schedule. Must compensate."

"How?"

Veldor adopted a ready stance fifteen feet from where Morrel stood. "Intensity. Attack me with intent to kill, Morrel. Will do the same courtesy for you."

Morrel's stomach went cold as he saw the look in Veldor's eyes. The man meant it. "But..."

"No time, Morrel!" Veldor said sharply. "Will not allow either of us to properly die. But must simulate real battle fully. Will bring out your potential. Do whatever you can to incapacitate me."

"I'm not sure I can..."

Veldor pointed. "Your spells adequate, Morrel. But do you know any others? Perhaps half-learned? Still practicing?"

"Well, um..." Morrel thought back to his lessons on Bant right before he had met Mizuki. What was he doing then?

 _Oh!_

"A crystalization spell," Morrel said slowly, "to trap an opponent, or create impaling shards."

Veldor nodded. "Good. Try and use that spell. Pressure of combat should accelerate capacity to cast."

"Whoa! You want me to use a half-learned spell on you?" Morrel took an automatic step back. Despite the huge open setting, he suddenly felt trapped.

"May need it," Veldor said. "Effective against Rohkan, and Maretta's whip-puppets. Will create significant openings for attacks. And remember that Azrael may continue to search for new allies, planeswalker or not. Need all assets against his team."

Morrel swallowed. "Well... okay. I'll try."

"Indeed you will."

Without warning, Veldor sprang.

 _So fast!_ Morrel crouched and threw up his hands at the last second. His blue-white barrier popped up between him and Veldor, and Veldor's left arm blade sliced down the barrier's surface. Sparks blasted into the air.

Before Morrel could cast another spell, Veldor brought his blade up, and this time, the barrier was split in two and vaporized. Just as quickly, his right fist slammed into Morrel's gut.

Morrel tumbled across the training ground, his chest thudding with pain with each heartbeat. He tried not to vomit as he got to his hands and knees, huffing.

"One punch? That's it? You're already incapacitated?" Veldor stalked toward Morrel, his left arm's blade held at the ready.

"N-no," Morrel said with a cough. He got to his feet, his mana aura humming around him.

"Must try harder," Veldor chided him. He tapped his chest with his right hand, almost like a taunt. "Show me your moves! Fight back properly."

"Fine!"

Again, Veldor charged. This time, he jumped and whirled in place, unleashing a spinning kick.

Morrel ducked the blow, and actually felt Veldor's boot graze his hair. _Too close..._

Veldor's movements grew sluggish as Morrel fired up his time-dilation spell, green-blue mana pumping through his muscles. Focusing green-white mana in his left fist, Morrel leaped into position and quickly pounded a vicious pattern into Veldor's chest.

Morrel's mana sputtered and he gasped as his spell wore off. His fist ached.

"Better!" Veldor landed on his feet and glanced at the damage. Then, he jabbed a rapid series of blows at Morrel's head, his blade whistling through the air.

Morrel ducked and weaved as best he could, but he felt Veldor's blade grazing him, drawing hot blood. And Veldor was speeding up.

Desperate, Morrel threw up another barrier, one that Veldor shattered in a dozen blows within a second. Amid the raining pieces of barrier, Morrel ducked and kicked at Veldor's exposed knee.

To Morrel's glee, Veldor stumbled back, his arm blade lowering for a second. Morrel took this chance to land a solid roundhouse kick to Veldor's temple.

Veldor reeled from the blow, his whole body open.

Morrel hesitated; was it a trap? He circled around Veldor, trying to fight the right angle, his fists held up in the ready position.

Veldor's blade jabbed out, and Morrel spun around it to dodge. Morrel prepared to knock Veldor's arm aside-

White-black mana gathered on Veldor's other knee, and in one swift movement, he pounced at Morrel and bashed him with his mana-charged knee.

"Aaaaaargh!" Morrel felt himself go limp as Veldor's mana jolted him, his body roughly thrown to the ground from the blow's intensity. He curled on the ground, fighting to regain control of his body. _A blow from his knee...?_

"Prepare for anything!" Veldor thundered, standing over Morrel, blade poised. "That is why you lost."

 _Not yet!_

There was no other option. Morrel fought through Veldor's mana long enough to throw out his arms and focus his green-white-blue mana in a cerain pattern. _Structure, impediment, speed... come on!_

Morrel's mana leaped from his hands and clung to Veldor's extended arm. At once, it hardened into oversized crystals, extending up to his elbow. The mana-sapping crystals weighed down Veldor's arm, and it fell to his side.

"Ah. That is the crystallization spell?" Veldor gave his arm an appraising look.

"Y... yeah," Morrel panted. "That was... all I could summon." _Damn it! Veldor thrashed me like a pissed rhox!_

Veldor rapped his right arm's knuckles on the crystals and shattered them at once. "I see. Is a start." He powered down his mana, retracted his blade, and offered his hand.

Morrel took it and let Veldor heave him to his feet.

"Somewhat sub-par performance," Veldor said. "But we will work on that. Leg seems functional so far. Feel that way?"

"I... yes." Morrel ran a hand along his left thigh. "Felt a litle weird, but it moved like I wanted. My movement was fine."

"So far," Veldor said. "Will see if it can withstand repeated testing. Now, you must recover. Rest, and I will train Mizuki."

"Can I watch for a bit?"

"Only a bit. You require recovery."

"Right." Still fuming at his resounding defeat, Morrel sank onto the training arena's edge and watched as Mizuki stepped forward, her black mana aura and curse firing up.

Mizuki's bout lasted longer, but that only accounted for her acrobatic moves and speed for evading Veldor's blows. She scored maybe three solid blows before Veldor's fist and blade alike had her flat on the ground, struggling to get up. Veldor knelt by her, one knee pinning her to the cool metal floor. "Yield," he demanded.

"N... no!" Mizuki squirmed in place, her left arm's claws scrabbling on the arena floor.

Veldor pressed his arm-blade against Mizuki's exposed throat. "Suggest you change answer."

Mizuki froze at the blade's touch. She panted for breath, her dark hair tangled and damp from sweat. "F... fine!" she grated.

Veldor released her and stood. He didn't look pleased. "Zoira told me that you both needed Maretta's help, of all people, to find first Sphaera Vitae shard. Not good. Must accomplish more on your own merit. Zoira and I can only do so much."

"Hey, I'm the one who actually killed Haijin-no-Imari!" Mizuki spat. Her eyes blazed. "That was important to me, Veldor!"

"Yes," Veldor said, "but that is behind us. Must focus on the now. Rohkan and Maretta are out there, and claimed half the Sphaera shards. Remember what is at stake!"

Mizuki curled her upper lip. "Yeah, I already know! I'm tryin', okay?"

"Trying only significant if results achieved."

Mizuki stamped a foot. "You -!"

"Silence. Get rest in university recovery wing with Morrel. More training. Hours ahead of us. Be ready."

Mizuki opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again under Veldor's piercing gaze. She skulked toward the stairs, motioning for Morrel to follow.

Morrel gave Veldor a _hey-take-it-easy_ look over his shoulder as he went after Mizuki. Veldor made no expression in return.

*o*o*o*o*

Maretta couldn't really tell what _sunset_ really was in Innistrad's province of Stensia, seeing as the purple-gray clouds diffused the sun's light during the whole day. At any rate, things were getting darker as she traipsed down a large town's central road, her boots kicking aside loose litter on the stone-paved road. Around here, townsfolk were already closing their shops and shutting their windows' shutters, no one talking very much.

It was getting colder, too.

"You best be gettin' home, my dear," an older woman said as she brushed past Maretta. The old crone tightened her wool shawl around herself, her graying hair in a bun. "It isn't safe 'round here, not since the cathars stopped comin'..."

Maretta only smiled as she watched the older woman shuffle off and disappear around a corner. _She_ wasn't afraid, and the reason was hooked to her belt. All these Stensians and their paranoia and tedious suspicions and -

Eyes were watching her. She knew it. Maretta heard the flapping of oversized bat wings, and a few seconds later, four pale people emerged from an alley's shadow and into a street lamp's light.

"Aren't you a bold one," one of the people, a man, crooned. "Or are you just lost?" He ran his tongue along his enlarged canines.

"Hey there," Maretta said with a wave. She approached the four strangers and put her hands on her curvy hips. "Aren't you all looking sharp today?"

The strangers, two men and two women, gave her appraising, predatory looks. Unlike the townsfolk around here, they didn't wear heavy, plain garments. The men had crisp white dress shirts under their gold-trimmed black suits, complete with a dark red ruff and gold rings on their long, slender fingers. The two women had high-heeled black boots and knee-length, dark purple satin dresses that showed enough pale cleavage to even make Maretta blush. A little.

And all four of them had gold irises and those sharp, enlarged canines. _Lovely!_

"Oooooh, this girl's a brave one, Karl," one of the women told the tallest man with a feral smile. She stepped forward and, with inhuman speed, seized Maretta's shoulders and pinned her against an inn's wall. The vampire lady took a quick look around; no one was watching.

The other vampires joined the first, and Karl tapped a finger on his smooth chin. "Careful, Arbella," he said evenly. "Don't break the goods. Lady Cintrella would want to see her for herself! Let us transform already and get going."

"Oh, come on, Karl," the woman, Arbella, retorted. "Just a little taste to make sure? We wouldn't want to waste Lady Cintrella's time..." She gently ran her cool tongue down Maretta's cheek, all the way to the jaw.

"Oh, you know your foreplay," Maretta said with a little giggle. "But can you perform?"

"Watch me, sweetheart." Arbella opened her jaws wide and slowly lowered her fangs toward Maretta's exposed neck.

None of the stupid bloodsuckers noticed that Maretta had drawn her whip's handle and had prepped her blue mana.

Four whip cords composed of blue mana sprouted from the handle. In a flash, the cords latched onto the backs of the vampires' necks, and the bloodsuckers backed away from Maretta, their eyes dulled.

"Now that's better." Maretta pretended to dust herself off, beamed, and ran her free hand's fingers delicately down Karl's shirt. She savored the feeling of his prominent abs under the expensive fabric. "Where do you fellows come from?"

"We are of the Voldaren bloodline. Our estate's up there," Karl said vaguely, pointing somewhere up the Geier Mountains that towered over the town.

 _Prominent beings like them could have a lead on any unusual activity around here. Or if not, I could set a trap of sorts. Zoira and Veldor are sure to search Stensia soon... I'll think of something._

Maretta chuckled to herself and rested her chin on Karl's shoulder. She had to tip-toe to reach. "Estate? Bet it's fancy. Can you take me there? Show a girl around?"

There was no real need to ask, but darn it, it was still fun.

Karl nodded mutely.

The four Voldarens flared up their red-black mana and promptly morphed into eagle-sized bats.

Karl firmly clasped Maretta in his claws, screeched, and took flight with his mistress, the three others following right behind him through the chilly Stensia air.


	15. The Planeswalker Code

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 15: The Planeswalker Code**

As soon as Karl and his three fiendish friends had flown Maretta over a Voldaren estate's misty grounds up in the Geier Mountains, they had transformed back and led Maretta through the third floor's hallways. They assured her that no one had noticed their arrival. Good.

Maretta could hear the constant babble and laughter (and a few terrified screams) of a loud party downstairs, but that was none of her business. She had _other_ ideas.

Wordlessly, Karl, Arbella, and the others showed Maretta around, explaining each room in the flat, dull voices typical of the mana whip's subjects. Along the way, Maretta noted all the expensive oil paintings, gold chandeliers, and flowery vases as she went. The place looked like the home of some reclusive, fat collector, but something about this place's layout hinted at predatory urges. Wherever Maretta went, she could tell that high-speed chases through this place wouldn't disrupt any of the decorations.

Beautiful _and_ deadly? Innistrad was a riot!

"This is my father's study," Karl droned as he motioned to a room, its bookshelves packed with books, the desk covered in maps and scrolls. Embers glowed in the room's fireplace.

"Yes, I can see that," Maretta said with forced patience. She gave Karl's whip-lash a little tug. "But can we get to the good part? You Voldarens must have _something_ worth protecting..." She caressed Karl's cold shoulders and smiled.

"Yes... the family treasury," Karl mumbled. Picking up the pace, he led Maretta through a series of rooms and up to a pair of heavy locked doors. He inserted a long, silver key and twisted, the locks clicking. The doors creaked open.

Maretta ignored the piles of gold and silver bars and jewelry sitting on the room's racks, and instead marched into the room's center, lit by a large chandelier.

And, on a cloth-draped pedestal, sat the answer to Maretta's problems.

*o*o*o*o*

Veldor spread his arms wide. "Ready... and go!"

Three days of grueling training had prepared Morrel and Mizuki for this: fighting Veldor together, nothing held back. Already, Morrel was aching from his earlier sparring, but if he could best Veldor now...

Thunderclouds rumbled overhead as Morrel and Mizuki sprang into action on Cae'Xan University's roof. Morrel pumped his green-white-blue mana and felt his aura radiate around him, tough and bright. Mizuki, meanwhile, manifested her left arm's curse let out a shout.

Veldor stood in place, his expression blank.

Morrel raised an arm, blue-green mana coursing through his muscles and into his hand. With a grunt, he focued the mana into crystalline shapes and thrust out his hand.

Bluish-green crystals sprouted on the ground at Veldor's feet with a loud crunching sound.

Veldor was faster.

 _Damn it!_ Morrel whirled around to track Veldor's quick movements, charging up his crystallization spell again. Too slow; Veldor kicked Morrel's arm aside and thrust his arm blade right at Morrel's face. The cold, metal blade grazed Morrel's cheek as Morrel narrowly evaded the blow.

Mizuki dashed into Veldor's exposed flank and slashed down her claws. Her nails raked Veldor's Etherium right shoulder, breaking Veldor's momentum for a precious split-second.

Taking his chance, Morrel charged green-white mana into his right fist and sank a terrific blow into Veldor's metal stomach. The sheer momentum forced Veldor to stagger back, bracing himself.

But only for a fleeting second.

Veldor's retaliatory roundhouse caught Morrel right in the left shoulder, and Morrel felt himself tumble away, his left arm numb and heavy from the near-paralyzing blow. "M-Mizuki!" he gasped.

On cue, Mizuki slashed her claws right at Veldor, forcing him to back up and block each rapid attack as it came.

That gave Mizuki a chance to charge up a newly-developed spell of hers.

"Raaaaah!" Mizuki broke open Veldor's guard, and thrust out her right hand. Razor-edged tendrils of black mana short forth, converging on Veldor like snakes.

Veldor rolled out of harm's way, and most of the mana tendrils tore shallow, glowing grooves into the training arena's surface. The last two tore into Veldor's chest, warping the Etherium.

With a victorious shout, Mizuki pointed her cursed arm's index finger at the exposed Veldor, mana charging into a ball at the fingertip.

She fired.

A roaring cone of destructive black mana enveloped the training field, and the sheer power of it ruffled Mizuki's hair and forced Morrel to shield his face with a hand. _Did she get him?_

The mana cone faded, leaving a wide blast radius on the arena floor.

Veldor seemed to materialize right behind Mizuki.

"No!" Morrel found himself on his feet, his left arm functional again, his feet pounding on the roof's surface as he ran. He threw out a hasty hand.

Just as Veldor brought down his left arm's blade to slice Mizuki apart, blue-green crystals shot up from the ground and caught Veldor's wrist, stopping his attack in mid-air.

Mizuki kicked Veldor right in the face to stun him, then slashed her claws down his chest. Meanwhile, Morrel vaulted in the air and delivered a hard kick that smashed into Veldor's shin. Veldor slumped, held up only by Morrel's crystals.

"Give it up," Morrel said, circling around Veldor with Mizuki covering his flank. "You're trapped."

Veldor heaved a sigh. "Watch."

Quickly, Veldor used his free arm and punched the crystals apart, the pieces raining on the arena floor. He did a backwards somersault to evade both Morrel and Mizuki's attacks, then returned Morrel's earlier attack with a kick that sent the boy sprawling.

Morrel threw out a blue-white barrier to block Veldor's attack on Mizuki, but the barrier faltered when Veldor's right arm flung a mana net onto Morrel's prone form. Black-white mana crackled all over Morrel's body, and he cried out in shock.

Through the mana net, Morrel could only watch as Veldor knocked aside Mizuki's desperate claw slash and seized her throat. He flung her to the ground and knelt on her to pin her down, blade poised at her neck.

"No! Wait!" Mizuki grated. She scraped her cursed hand's claws on the training floor.

"Yield."

"Bastard!"

"I said yield!"

Mizuki exhaled with a puff, her face red and screwed up in fury. "I yield! Get off me!"

Veldor released her and dusted himself off. "Better," he said, and snapped his fingers. The mana net around Morrel vanished. "Yes. Getting better. Spells progressing well, though still not fully effective. Will train more tomorrow, of course."

"It's only... been a few days," Morrel panted, shakily getting to his feet. His head felt light, a bitter taste in his mouth. "Still... working on -"

"Needs more work," Veldor barked. "Morrel, crystals easy to shatter. And your arm movements are too obvious when you cast the spell."

"I-it's the best I can do for n-"

"More work," Veldor repeated. "Rohkan and Maretta will not dawdle! They have a lead and will work to enforce it. And Azrael will have many minions on most other planes. May also be powerful, like kithkin army. Or that giant and his sword you told me about."

Morrel coughed. "C-Caldonn. He had an elf slayer sword with a Sphaera shard in the pommel. He was just a temporary partner. Not like Rohkan and Maretta."

"But you see how Azrael works," Veldor insisted. He helped a very grumpy Mizuki to her feet and ignored her sour glare. "Many followers united by promise of power. Widespread search, more than Zoira and I can compete with by ourselves. May have to focus on neutralizing Azrael's minions before finding last two Sphaera shards. Need you both strong enough for that task."

"Just let me at 'em," Mizuki snarled. Her left arm's curse faded. Her face was streaked with sweat, her chest heaving. "I'll show Azrael what happens when he messes with -"

"Anger useless," Veldor cut in. "Perhaps worse than that. Dulls focus and judgment. Clarity of purpose needed."

"Yeah, I know," Mizuki snapped. "Noble cause. Save Multiverse. _After_ you nearly kill me _again_!"

She bumped past Veldor and stormed toward the stairs.

Veldor narrowed his eyes. "May have to double regimen tomorrow."

"You drive me nuts, you know that?"

Veldor opened his mouth to answer until Morrel cut in. "Let her go," he said wearily as Mizuki disappeared down the staircase. He trudged after Mizuki. "She's..." He shrugged. He didn't really know what to say.

*o*o*o*o*

That evening after dinner, Morrel marched right into Mizuki's room in the guest wing. "Hey," he said.

Mizuki, who lay on her bed watching the evening through her window, glanced over at him. She had her boots off, idly wiggling her toes. "Oh," she responded. She sat up. "Veldor send for you, or something?" A scowl threatened to cross her face.

"No, this is all me." Morrel shut the door behind him and sat by Mizuki on the sturdy bed. "Look, about today -"

"What about it?" Mizuki cut in loftily.

Morrel winced. "Veldor's not a bad guy, you know. He's giving us an idea what it's really like, standing up to dangerous people like Rohkan. Have you never had an instructor before? Trust me, they're _all_ like this."

Morrel decided to not get into rhox regimens.

"Yeah, sure. It's just..." Mizuki sighed and pushed her bangs out of her face. She stared at a spot on the floor. "Can I admit a little something, if you _swear_ not to tell anyone, 'specially Veldor?"

"Of course you can."

"I feel..." Mizuki swallowed. "I'm trying to do the right thing here. Really. But I can't shake this _helpless_ feeling! When Haijin-no-Imari massacred my family, and when she gave me this curse... I felt so small. Like a speck of dust." She locked her eyes onto Morrel. "And then I met you and Zoira, and we started this whole crazy quest. And now look. We can't even beat Veldor, let alone Rohkan or Maretta. Again, things are going so wrong, and I just let it happen."

"What?" Morrel put a comforting hand on Mizuki's thigh. "It's nothing like that! I know, I can't understand how you really felt about your village and the akuma's curse. But here, we're standing up for what's right when no one else will. How can you blame yourself for _that_?"

Mizuki looked down again. "Maybe I'm being selfish, but... I was starting to wonder if we were both crazy to do this. We've screwed everything up. And you lost your leg!"

Morrel tried not to glance at his left leg, or imagine the Etherium bones under the new flesh. "Thank the angels for Etherium, huh?" He made a nervous laugh that Mizuki didn't share.

"This must be how you felt at first, seeing Kamigawa and fighting Haijin-no-Imari at her castle," Mizuki murmured. Her eyes wavered. "So overwhelmed, so scared. All kinds of things thrust on you that you don't know if you're even ready for."

 _What should I do?_ Morrel felt a chill as a part of him agreed with Mizuki. Right now, what chance did he have against Rohkan and Maretta, or whatever other non-planeswalker minions Azrael had? He was just some kid from Bant! Some voice in his head agreed with Mizuki, confirming what it had been saying all along. That Morrel was kidding himself.

Was that such a bad thing, though?

"You're right," Morrel heard himself say.

Mizuki stared at him. "What...?"

Morrel swallowed and folded his arms. The reddish Esper sun had sunken even lower, putting half the room in shadow. "I tried not to show it too much, but by the _angels,_ I'm scared to death!" He forced himself to chuckle at himself. "New worlds, new dangers. And yeah, there's a part of _me_ that wants to just say 'No, we're going back to what's familiar and safe'. And I'd just leave all this behind. I don't like that voice, but it's there."

"Really." Mizuki folded her hands on her lap. "Gotta be honest, I was a bit jealous of your courage, foolhardy or not. And how you've got your angel and rhox stuff to guide you. I was never the spiritual type."

"The angels are far away. They're not helping me in person," Morrel admitted. "But it feels good to invoke their names anyway." He grinned. "And youknow what, you're the toughest girl I've met. The rhox monks would like your attitude. And even after you got your revenge on Haijin-no-Imari, you're still helping everyone out."

Mizuki held up her left arm to eye level. "Doing a great deed's supposed to cleanse the curse."

"Well, yeah." Morrel shrugged. "But I think a part of you is also still here because you decided that it's right. Even if you didn't grow up with angels and rhoxes telling you. I think that, in spirit, you're like a Bantian, too. Take it from me." He smiled.

"Oh, for the love of -" Mizuki fought a smile and made an exasperated noise. "Where's all this coming from?"

"When we first got here, Veldor mentioned something to me," Morrel explained. "He and Zoira call it 'the planeswalker code'. They think that as world-walkers with great skill, it's their moral duty to make every plane a better place, and keep watch on the Multiverse. It's not a job that you can turn your back on, not in good conscience."

Mizuki made a face. "The planeswalker code...?"

"Come on, you have to admit it's a good idea! It's why Zoira decided to help stop Azrael when she viewed Kaida's memory capsule, and Veldor joined her. And it's why we joined the both of them."

"What, 'cause of some silly code of honor?"

Morrel winced. "It's not official or anything. But it reminds us of why we do what we do, and what's at risk if we don't. And you know me: Bantians love codes and oaths and stuff."

Mizuki grinned. "No kidding."

"So, let's agree that by the code, and the good of everyone else, we'll stick it out and do this." Morrel motioned with a hand for emphasis. "You're a great girl, Mizuki. Really. I'd hate to lose you. Stay with me, and show me what you're made of."

"Good grief." Mizuki went red. She fidgeted. "You're getting all sentimental on me, Morrel. Listen to you! Why don't you just kiss me already and make it official?"

"What..." Morrel felt himself go red, too. "I didn't necessarily mean... that is, we -"

Mizuki took Morrel's head in her hands, leaned over, and kissed him.

Morrel froze for a half second, then closed his eyes and savored the feeling of Mizuki's soft lips on his, and the sweet taste. It felt like an hour until Mizuki parted from him, panting slightly.

"Well... see you tomorrow for training," she said quietly. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips. "Um... thank you... for all that. Let's kick Veldor's sorry butt together."

"Y... yes. I'll be there." In a daze, Morrel stood and made for the door. "Good night, then." He shuffled into his room and, like Mizuki had been, lay on his bed and stared at the darkening ceiling for a long time.


	16. Mutually Beneficial Partnership

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 16: Mutually Beneficial Partnership**

Rohkan's first impression of Tarkir was this: it was _dry_.

The vedalken's red-green planeswalking gate faded into arcane wisps as he stepped onto the loose, wind-swept dirt. The plane's reddish evening sun suffused the sky with a nasty orange color, contrasting with the scattered grayish clouds. In the distance, Rohkan saw countless rocky ridges, mesas, and boulders, some with odd burn marks on them. Skulls of various animals and humanoids lay scattered around, but none were as impressive as the massive dragon ribs and spines that thrust out of the tortured earth. He even saw a few dragon skulls, fierce even in death.

Rohkan sniffed. He smelled only dusty dirt and lingering malice.

Had a group of warriors come through here recently? He made a mental note to check for any tracks in the impressionable dirt.

There was work to do. Surely, this place was peopled? Maybe nomads? Such a people would be perfect scouts for finding a Sphaera Vitae shard. If so, he'd call over Azrael to take care of things. Preferably, those people would have horses, or maybe -

 _What's this?_ Rohkan took an automatic step back as a new planeswalker gate flared to life, sizzling with black and white mana. From it stepped a man.

"Hello there," the man said warmly. He placed himself before Rohkan as his gate fizzled out. "My name is Nihil. And you?" He extended a hand to shake.

Rohkan hesitated as he took the man in. Apparently in his mid to late thirties, the human was well-built and nearly Rohkan's height, with somewhat short blond hair that was fashionably stuck up, complimenting his week-old stubble. His chiseled features and physique marked him as a man capable of looking out for himself, at least in Rohkan's eyes. Nihil wore a parted black leather vest over his buttoned-up white shirt, plus brown trousers and hiking boots.

Nihil raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry. I'm not terribly familiar with vedalken culture. Did I offend...?"

"...No." Rohkan took Nihil's extended hand and pumped twice. "I am Rohkan, of Mirrodin. You haven't offended me. But I demand to know what your business is with me."

"Of course," Nihil said patiently. He smoothed his leather vest.

Rohkan couldn't help but relax a bit at the man's tone.

Nihil cleared his throat. "I'm a native of Ravnica. Perhaps you've been there, Rohkan?"

Rohkan nodded.

"I see. Well, I was never a guildsman, myself, but I learned from various artificers and craftsmen in the fourth precinct. Not to boast, but I acquired some considerable skill, and when my Spark activated, well... I couldn't pass up this opportunity!" Nihil smiled and spread his arms to encompass the badlands. "I simply _had_ to see new worlds and their own innovations in artifice. Your boss's Sphaera Vitae sounds simply _fascinating._ I just had to meet you. I found your planeswalker tracks right outside this plane in the AEther."

"Oh?" Rohkan pursed his lips. "You've already met Azrael? Did you agree to work, unconditionally, for his cause? It's not something to take lightly, Nihil. Already, Maretta and I have risked our lives for -"

"My mistake. Maybe I should have led with this?" Nihil waved his hands apologetically. "Azrael and I already made our deal. I help you and this Maretta lady recover the pieces of the Sphaera Vitae, and Azrael will impart some of his homeland's secrets with me. A more mutually beneficial partnership was never had!" He smiled again, hands on his hips.

The corners of Rohkan's lips twitched upwards. He didn't have much patience for bouncy types like these, but Nihil seemed capable enough. He felt a vague tingling. Satisfaction, perhaps? He didn't mind having more help against that pretentious bastard Veldor and his teenaged ride-alongs.

"We're on the same team now, you and I," Nihil declared. "Tarkir's a big place. Have you been here before?"

Rohkan shook his head. "I take it that you have?"

"That's right, my friend." Nihil marched off eastward. "We're in the middle of a clan's territory here. Better be careful. We're bound to find horse tracks soon that'll lead us to an outpost."

Rohkan jogged to catch up. "Clan?"

"The Mardu Horde," Nihil said with awe. "Some of the finest archers and horse-riders on any plane. If we're careful, we could convince them to help us search for the Sphaera fragment. We ought to impress them with our abilities, at least."

"No need." Rohkan made a fierce grin. "Maybe Azrael did not tell you, but he has a certain... _way_ with people. Like the kithkin on Lorwyn. His wisdom and charisma are bound to sway the Mardu."

Nihil looked impressed. "A true genius can work the nuances of not just artifice, but the human mind, as well."

"Exactly. Now, Maretta and I can call him with an enchantment he gave us. Let's have him join us. Then you can see for yourself."

Nihil beamed. "Wonderful."

*o*o*o*o*

On the sixth day of Morrel and Mizuki's training atop Cae'Xan University, Morrel spread his arms wide to encompass the small crowd that had gathered. "Everyone, please watch me," he announced. "Today is the day I best Veldor!"

An excited murmur spread among the human and vedalken onlookers. After all this time, they clearly couldn't resist seeing what all the fuss was about on the rooftop. The afternoon Esper sun shone coldly, partly hidden behind a puzzle-piece cloud. A light, salty wind picked up from the west.

"Me, too," Mizuki added, pointing her cursed arm's finger at the waiting Veldor.  
"Get your tissues ready, people."

"I don't think they're going to cry," Morrel muttered to her.

Mizuki made a face. "Guess you're right. Never mind."

Olivia was in the crowd, and she waved. "Do something already!" she called out. Four of her homunculi stood by her and pumped their fists (probably at Olivia's orders).

"Yes. Would recommend that..." Veldor said, taking a few deliberate steps toward his opponents. He extended his left arm's blade and fired up his intense white-blue-black mana aura.

He vanished in a blur and reappeared between Morrel and Mizuki.

"... if you both intend to win," Veldor finished.

Morrel's heart leaped into his throat. _Already?!_

A split second later, Veldor's arm-mounted blade whistled through the air in a vicious slash. Morrel had only an instant to summon a blue-white barrier and roll away before Veldor's swing shattered the barrier into wispy shards. Not missing a beat, Veldor leaped at Morrel, right fist drawn back.

The university's roof caved in as Veldor's Etherium knuckles made contact, and the sheer power forced Morrel to stumble back.

"You're open," Veldor warned, looking up at Morrel. He opened up his chest's little ports, and his dart-throwers charged with mana.

A dozen tendrils of black mana snaked through the air and jabbed into Veldor's back. "So are you!" Mizuki called over. Her hair fluttered from the intensity of her black mana aura.

Veldor reeled from the sneak attack, then whirled around and sliced the tendrils in half with one swing. He braced his legs to perform another high-speed pounce -

Morrel charged his blue-green mana into his right hand and threw it out, palm-first. Crystals sprouted from the ground and enveloped Veldor's legs to the knee, and he jerked from the sudden spell's effect.

Mizuki charged, bringing down her cursed arm's claws on Veldor's face. The Esper man raised his blade to block, but the attack was only a feint; Mizuki drew back her arm and pounded Veldor's chest, the sheer power shuddering through his whole body.

"Get him!" Mizuki cried.

Morrel charged, green-white mana in his left fist. He leaped into the air and threw out a terrific punch.

Crystal shards scattered as Veldor smashed Morrel's spell with both fists. He ducked and rolled, allowing Morrel to hit the empty floor. Like Veldor, Morrel caved in the roof's surface, the metal groaning in protest.

 _Whoa. This workout is really paying off!_ Morrel thought with awe.

Just as quickly, Veldor threw out a rapid slashing pattern, and Morrel strained to evade it, but he felt cuts accumulate on his body. He frantically kicked aside Veldor's arm and scored a counter-punch, but one of Veldor's chest-mounted darts launched.

The tiny dart released a shockingly cold spell through Morrel's blood vessels, and the battlemage crumpled, gasping in shock.

"Mana-sapping spell in dart," Veldor explained. "Will leave you incapacitated in minutes."

Veldor didn't miss a beat as Mizuki tried an ambush. Without even looking, he knocked aside her arm slash and kicked her in the chest. Mizuki flew through the air and tumbled away in a heap.

"So soon?" Veldor towered over Morrel, disappointment clear on his face. He raised his arm-blade for the kill. "Everyone will see you fall short, Morrel. So be it."

The blade came down in a flash-

Adrenaline and desperate fury raced through Morrel's mind. He threw all his green mana into his limbs and wrenched himself out of harm's way just as Veldor's blade clanged against the rooftop in a spray of sparks.

"Like I'd let you!" Morrel snapped. He felt his brain fogging up from the dart's effects, but if he was fast enough...

Veldor was open for just a half second. Morrel added white mana to his green, and he released a roundhouse kick that snapped Veldor's head to the side. A rapid series of punches threw Veldor back, his chest totally exposed to further attack.

Right on cue, Mizuki leaped onto the scene just as Morrel kicked Veldor up into the air. Mizuki howled in fury as she swiped her claws through the air like a slap. Black mana blasted from Veldor's chest as Mizuki's blow landed, and the solid _thump_ echoed across the rooftop. The crowd gasped.

Veldor managed to control his landing, skidding to a halt on one knee. "Very good!" he panted. "You both are showing me excellent moves!"

In a blur, Veldor was suddenly standing before Morrel and Mizuki again.

"No!" Morrel drew back, but he felt his legs wobble from the dart's spell. A chill swept through his body, and he felt his green-white mana draining rapidly. How long did he have left?

Mizuki summoned more tendrils, only to have Veldor slash them apart. Morrel hastily threw up a mana barrier that blocked Veldor's counter-slash, and Morrel took this chance to spring onto Veldor, using the last of his strength to hold him back. "Go!" Morrel shouted.

In a second, Mizuki seized Veldor's left wrist with her right arm and positioned her cursed hand's claws right at Veldor's exposed, fleshy throat. "Now _you_ yield!" Mizuki snarled.

In response, Veldor tore his left arm free and gently pressed his arm-blade against Mizuki's own throat. "Not so fast," he said flatly.

Tense seconds crawled by as Mizuki and Veldor dared each other to back down, while Morrel strained to keep Veldor at bay. If Veldor broke free and did another high-speed charge -

"HEY!"

A woman's voice rang across the open arena, and everyone shielded their eyes as an elf lady stepped through a flaming red planeswalker gate.

Still clad in her light leather armor and high-heeled boots, Zoira stalked across the arena and kicked Veldor free, sending him tumbling away.

Morrel sank to his hands and knees, fighting to keep his vision clear. "Z-Zoira?"

"Hey! We had him!" Mizuki cried on protest. "You can't just -"

Zoira flared up her red mana aura, a summoning spell right at her fingertips. "I can," she grated. "What were you guys doing?"

"Training," Veldor said simply, picking himself up. He lowered his mana aura and retracted his blade.

"Looked to me like you were all gonna kill each other!" Zoira countered. She huffed in anger, but there was a look of concern in her eyes, too. "Veldor...!"

For a heartbeat, Veldor just stared. Then he approached Zoira, his eyes downcast. "Did not mean to distress," he said, his tone more meek than Morrel had ever heard it. "Needed to simulate battlefield conditions."

"Yeah, well, we're gonna get enough real battlefields very soon," Zoira said firmly. "I've got a few leads on Innistrad. I need help, Veldor! How long were you gonna leave me alone on that horrible plane?"

"Unsure."

Zoira hesitated, then powered down her mana. "Look: I'm making headway in Nephalia, but just this morning in Innistrad time, a squad of cathers arrived from Stensia and reported unusual activity around a Voldaren estate. I overheard them talking to the regional captain, asking for reinforcements."

Veldor waved a hand to dismiss the crowd, and they started to depart, murmuring to themselves. "Oh yes? Any specific details?"

"Something nasty, even for Innistrad," Zoira said with a shudder. "Apparently, some poor woman barely escaped that Voldaren estate, and when a cathar patrol rescued her, she told them everything she knew about the estate. Those vampires have some secret up there. It's likely a Sphaera shard."

"Right. Yes." Veldor smoothed his hair. "Will investigate Stensia right after repairs. Morrel and Mizuki will assist. Will let you continue to search for leads in Nephalia, just to be sure."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mizuki demanded, confronting Veldor. "Speak for yourself, pal!"

"No, it's better this way," Zoira said soothingly. "With my summoning, I can handle myself. But Veldor needs someone to watch his back." She grinned. "Veldor. did you tell them about that one time on Shandalar, the incident right before we brought them along for the quest?"

Veldor scowled. "No. Don't intend to."

Zoira turned to Morrel and Mizuki, clearly trying not to laugh. "He wandered into a bandit kingdom and nearly got himself -"

"Details not needed!" Veldor held up a brass hand to stop her.

Zoira actually laughed. "Sorry, Veldor. Okay, take them to the medical wing or whatever, and follow me to Innistrad." Her face fell. "And not one more second of 'training'! We're running out of time, and I know what your idea of teaching is." She put her hands on her hips, daring Veldor to challenge her.

Veldor helped Morrel to his feet. "Antidote spell in medical wing," he said. "Won't take long. Come, Mizuki." And over his shoulder, he added, "Apologies, Zoira. Did not mean to cause distress." His pale face went slightly pink.

As Veldor marched Mizuki and Zoira across the arena floor to the stairs, Mizuki suddenly grinned. "Veldor," she said slyly, "I'd never expect it from _you_."

Veldor made no expression as the trio went down the stairs. "Expect what?"

"Zoira... you're totally infatuated with her, aren't you?"

 _Really, now? Not what I expected,_ Morrel thought through the haze of Veldor's dart spell.

"Mind your own personal matters," Veldor retorted. "Zoira showed me Kaida's memory capsule. Made excellent case to oppose Azrael's plans. Her power and strong will proved her capable."

Mizuki suppressed a chuckle. "It's more than that, ain't it? Come on, she's so pretty, and you're so lonely... I'm not blaming you!"

"Not guilty of anything." Veldor settled his face into a stern mask.

"Can't fool me." Mizuki made a knowing smile and didn't let up until Veldor escorted her into the medical wing, shutting the door behind him with a little too much force.


	17. Stensia

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 17: Stensia**

Morrel felt a familiar tingle of dread as he stepped into Cae'Xan University's entrance hall to join Mizuki, Veldor, and Zoira. Seeing the three of them together reassured him... but what would they all face next? Would Rohkan or Maretta claim one of their lives this time? Or would someone even worse come along?

 _Keep it together._ Morrel fought the urge to pat his false left leg. _Put Veldor's training to good use, and we won't lose anything else. I think._

"Where are we going, again?" Mizuki asked, tapping a foot, her arms folded. "I'm not going to like it, am I?"

"The Stensia province of Innistrad," Zoira reminded her. "Veldor'll tell you more when you're there. Right?" She glanced at Veldor.

"Yes. Of course." Veldor nodded once. "Familiar with Innistrad."

"I think I'm _too_ familiar with it already," Zoira said with a shudder. "Remember to buy coats when you're there."

Morrel waved hello. "So, are we all ready? I am."

"Yes. Follow me in AEther," Veldor told Mizuki. "Long way from here."

Just as Mizuki took Morrel's arm to take him into the AEther, however, a familar voice rang through the hall: "Wait, guys!"

Olivia came sprinting down the hall, shoving past a few people in her haste. She carried something under her arm, her loose brunette hair fluttering behind her.

Mizuki let go of Morrel's arm. "Oh, hey. You need something?"

Olivia skidded to a halt and grinned. "Actually, I think _you_ need something. Present." She held out the gold object, which to Morrel looked like a gold jewelry box with a nozzle on one end. Dark blue runes covered its surface, and it had a black cord for carrying.

Veldor raised his eyebrows. "Rather generous, Olivia."

Zoira smiled politely. "What's that?"

"Saw you guys fight Veldor to a draw. Good enough for me," Olivia said warmly. "Come on, take it!"

Tentatively, Mizuki accepted it. "Um, thanks. How do I use it, anyway?"

To demonstrate, Olivia tapped a combination of runes.

A jet of blue mana poured from the nozzle and materialized into a blue-skinned ] homunculus wearing a white robe with black trim. It looked up to Mizuki with its dark, childlike eyes and bowed politely.

Mizuki gasped with delight and knelt by the homunculus. "What a neat fellow! What's his name? What's he do?"

"This is a sensory model," Olivia explained. "Has a built-in compass and can use sonar to scan a wide area for safe pathways and locating targets. Limited energy, so needs rest after use. But impossible to block or jam his abilities."

The sensory homunculus touched Mizuki's knee. "Mistress."

"You know what," Mizuki said fondly, "I'll call you Sora, a name back home meaning 'blue sky'. 'Cause you're so blue! Like it?"

Sora bowed again. "Yes, mistress."

"Same combination to reseal him," Olivia said, and after inputting the code, Sora was warped back into the capsule. "Got it memorized?"

Mizuki mimed the combination over the capsule's runes. "Yeah, got it."

"Well, _that_ should speed things up," Zoira commented. "I might borrow it if -"

Mizuki hugged the capsule close to herself. "No way! Sora's mine."

Zoira smiled and gestured with her open hands. "Oh. Sorry."

"So, you're all going to another world?" Olivia asked. "Veldor's told me about a few..."

"We are. But you wouldn't like it," Zoira admitted.

"Very well. Be safe." Olivia stepped back. "But please tell me you all will attend my wedding?"

"I... we'll see," Mizuki said. "Things are a little tricky for us right now..."

Olivia shrugged. "Will wait and see. Farewell."

As Zoira summoned her red planeswalking aura and Veldor conjured his white-blue-black one, Mizuki tucked the capsule under her cursed arm and took Morrel's upper arm with her other hand. Her black mana aura activated.

Once again, Morrel felt like his body and mind were being crushed into a singularity, his vision black, a howling in his ears -

Morrel gasped as he was jolted by the feeling of cold, dry air on his face and the smell of pine trees and smoke from nearby chimneys. One thing was for sure: by the angels' feathers, this place was a far cry from Esper, let alone Bant.

Morrel, Mizuki, and Veldor stood at the edge of a town at a mountain range's base, but these were nothing like the clean, snow-capped peaks of Bant, or even the rusty red Sokenzan Mountains of Kamigawa.

Dark pine forests swathed in eerie purple mist grew at the jagged mountains' bases, and the peaks were lost in heavy gray clouds. Sickly orange evening sunlight fought through the cloud layer, but Morrel felt no warmth from the light. Flocks of crows emerged from the pines, vanishing into the mist seconds later. Morrel faintly heard the distant howl of wolves, a lonely, haunting wail.

A breeze picked up, chilling Morrel to the bone. It smelled of dried blood and fear.

"Welcome," Veldor said simply, "to Innistrad."

"This plane…" Mizuki wrinkled her nose. "I like every world I visit less than the last."

"No complaining," Veldor said. "Zoira has been searching for days. We can do the same. She trusted us to pursue the Stensia lead. Will _not_ fail her." There was a spark in his eyes Morrel had never seen.

 _Whoa, he really_ does _care about her,_ Morrel thought. It was a relief to see Veldor's soft side...

Mizuki shrugged. "Lead the way, lover boy."

"Not interested in amour," Veldor insisted, scowling. All the same, he extended his right Etherium arm and spread the fingers wide. Blue, black, and white mana pulsed on the metal skin as he waved the arm around. "Fascinating readings," he muttered to himself. Raising his voice, he added, "Follow me to the mountains. Perhaps we should pick up some weapons from the townsfolk while we're here?"

"I don't have any money on me," Morrel blurted.

"That is fine. I brought savings from Esper," Veldor assured him. "Follow me. Must find new clothes as well."

Morrel tried to ignore the curious, often frightened looks of the townsfolk as he ventured into the town with the others. They wore heavy wool coats and leather boots and gloves, and the men wore tri-corn hats or fur caps. The women had thickly-woven petticoats and high-heeled boots with buckles, and around their necks they had necklaces with an odd talisman. It looked like a circle with a gap at the top, with two L-shaped points facing inwards.

"Symbol is the collar of Avacyn," Veldor offered. "She is, or was, the premiere guardian angel here. Has gone missing recently, and monster attacks have increased. Best we watch ourselves."

"What happened to her? This Avacyn?" Morrel asked. His Esper clothes weren't thick enough to keep out the cold, and he shivered. He could see his breath.

"Unsure," Veldor said. "Irrelevant. Need weapons. Then we pursue that lead. Prepare for combat."

Morrel passed more wary-looking townsfolk and a few horse-drawn carriages until Veldor led him and Mizuki into a small church, where a man with his graying hair in a ponytail approached them.

"You lot aren't from around here, are you?" he asked gruffly. He folded his beefy arms. Unlike the townsfolk, he wore expensive clothes and a gold-trimmed cloak, clasped at the front with another Avacyn collar talisman. Was he a priest of sorts?

"We come from far away, but come in peace," Veldor said. He drew a few gold coins from his pocket. "Need weapons. We're going hunting."

The priest narrowed his eyes as he looked over Veldor's gold, then his Etherium body. "Say, I never seen the likes of you before. Where did you say you were from?"

 _How do we explain ourselves?_ Morrel wondered. _Mizuki and I can blend in, I suppose, but Veldor..._

"Enhanced battle armor," Veldor said. "Designed in Thraben. I'm one of the testers. Built to compensate for increasing monster activity."

"Oh," the priest said, but he still looked wary. "I never know what them chaps up at Gavony get up to." He glanced at Morrel and Mizuki. "But what about the youngsters here? Protective charms for them?"

"Anti-vampire and anti-geist items preferred," Veldor said. "This boy is my nephew Gert. Trainee. Capable of combat under my watch."

"Right." The priest grunted and glanced at Mizuki. "And her?"

"She..." Veldor hesitated for a second. "... is Gert's girlfriend, Angelina. Trainee priestess."

"Hey -" Mizuki blurted before she covered her mouth. The priest didn't seem to notice.

The priest shrugged walked Veldor along the walls, where shelves held various items Morrel had never seen before. "So, what can I get you? Sorry, no discounts today."

He didn't sound very sorry.

Ten minutes later, Morrel walked down the town's streets with Mizuki and Veldor, the three of them clad in heavy coats and gloves they had bought at a clothing emporium. Along the way, Veldor explained the items he had bought at the church.

"Wooden stakes," he said, handing a few of the sharp implements to Morrel and Mizuki. "Highly effective against vampires if driven through heart."

Morrel tested the stake's weight in his gloved hands. "Seems crude."

"Living wood defies vampires' nature," Veldor said, "but _only_ if driven through heart. Vampires unkillable otherwise, excepting decapatation. But that is difficult. Vampires fast."

"And that?" Mizuki asked, pointing to a crystal bottle Veldor held.

Veldor held up the bottle, sloshing the clear liquid inside. "Contains holy water blessed by archangel. Expensive, but powerful deterrant against vampires, ghouls, and devils. Will keep in storage." He unclasped his coat and stowed the bottle in a compartment in his Etherium chest, then redid his coat.

"Silver knife," Veldor added, holding one up. "Also effective against most malignant creatures. Draws attention of crows, however, which is much more dangerous than it sounds." He slipped it into a small compartment in his left arm.

Morrel grinned. "You know your stuff."

"Am I?" Veldor said absent-mindedly. "So. Follow me. Need to get through forest and up that mountain." He pointed.

Mizuki grunted. "There better be a road."

"Possibly," Veldor said. "But roads are ideal ambush points. We will skirt around them. I have been here before. Trust me, if you will."

Morrel braced himself as the trio headed out through the town's creaky front gates and down a stone-paved road that sloped upwards. "You said this plane is called Innistrad?"

"Yes," Veldor said. "Not many Planeswalkers visit -"

"I never would," Mizuki grated.

"Few Planeswalkers visit," Veldor repeated, unperturbed, "but Sphaera Vitae lead in Voldaren estate worth pursuing. Will regroup with Zoira in Nephalia afterwards."

Morrel heard more wolves howl in the distance and the caw of crows. "So, these vampires... what else do we know?"

"Many of them," Veldor said. "Voldaren family one of the biggest four bloodlines, aside from Stromkirk, Falkenrath, and Markov. Capable of flight and animal transformation."

Morrel winced. "They sound like monsters."

"Yes," Veldor said, "but all vampires also comprise Innistrad's elite non-human class. Wealthy and well-connected. Local church enforcers, the cathars, have trouble dealing with them. Their strongholds require great numbers and skill to storm."

"Which is what _we're_ doing, right?" Mizuki cut in, her expression sour.

"Trained you for a reason," Veldor snapped. "Now, follow. Road dangerous after this point." He escorted Morrel and Mizuki into the shallowest part of the pine forest, where twigs snapped underfoot. Morrel looked down and saw more than a few bones mixed in with loose tree branches and bushes. He felt a chill unrelated to the weather.

"Now, Mizuki, prepare to summon Sora," Veldor said. "Need his sonar scan to find optimal route to Voldaren estate. Then, we -"

Morrel's only warning was the loud rustle of huge bat wings. He felt something huge slam into his back, and realized that someone had pinned him down. "HEY!" he shouted hastily.

Around him, Morrel saw three eagle-sized bats swoop in and morph into well-dressed, pale people with dark hair and enlarged canines. Worse, they had black spells charged on their palms.

"Vampires!" Veldor hissed, but too late. One of the vampires shoved Mizuki onto her back and straddled her, a pale hand around Mizuki's throat. With a flare of his palm mana, he knocked Mizuki right out.

"Get back!" Veldor held his collar item aloft with one hand, his wooden stake in the other, poised to strke. A third vampire hesitated, staring down Veldor.

Quick as a flash, the fourth vampire seized the back of Veldor's head and infused the Esper man's flesh with the same spell that had smitten Mizuki. Veldor trembled, then fell to his knees and sprawled face-down on the cool forest floor.

"Stupid humans," the vampire who had pinned down Morrel gloated. Quickly, he seized the back of Morrel's head and flooded in his own mana.

 _No! I've got to summon a barrier..._ But just as Morrel started to collect his white-blue mana, his brain went foggy and his vision dimmed. A bloodthirsty malice was woven into the spell, permeating every bit of his mind.

Veldor and Mizuki's prone forms were the last thing Morrel saw before he passed out.


	18. Matriarch

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 18: Matriarch**

The musty smell of old books and candles greeted Morrel when he creaked open his eyes.

Moonlight flooded the room, an oversized study with wood-paneled walls and laden bookshelves and a table with exhausted candles and a few loose pieces of paper. A small chandeleir hung overhead, but its candles weren't lit. A painting of a gorgeous, well-dressed woman hung on the west wall.

Morrel gasped when he fully came to his sense and realized that he was tied to a chair with his hands shackled together, as were his ankles. His coat and gloves were gone.

 _No! No!_ Morrel rocked back and forth, his heart racing and spine tingling with horror. His chair's legs thumped on the carpeted floor, but his bindings refused to break. He settled down and closed his eyes, focusing his green mana -

"Ineffective," came Veldor's face.

"What..." Morrel quickly glanced left and right. Veldor was similarly bound in a chair to his right, his Etherium chest bare. His face was an impasive mask.

Veldor cleared his throat. "These are mana-binding cuffs. Spells impossible. Many planes have such a thing."

"But... what are we going to..." Morrel swallowed. He felt like the room was closing around him.

"Haven't had visitors yet," Veldor said. "Should wait and see what they want."

Morrel tested his ropes one more time. Totally tight. "I don't suppose you have a plan?"

"Possibilities exist. Will wait and see. Patience, Morrel."

Morrel sighed and looked to his left. There was Mizuki, her head dipped down onto her chest. She, too, was missing her coat and gloves, her dark hair covering her face. "Mizuki?" Morrel tentatively asked. But the vampires' spells must still be affecting her.

 _We were careless!_ Morrel ground his teeth as he recalled the four vampires ambushing them, overwhelming them with those stun spells -

The study's door was thrown open. Light flooded into the room from the hallway beyond, shining around the dark figure of a woman in a gown. The room dimmed as she shut the door behind her.

"Three at once. Remarkable, I say," the woman said in a crooning voice, stalking toward her captives. "It has been a while since we needed those mana cuffs. I thought all the good humans were already gone! We could sense your latent mana, you see... nothing escapes our notice."

Morrel's brain was still a bit groggy from the stun spell, but that didn't stop him from reeling at the sight of the woman. She had eggshell-white, impossibly smooth skin, and her eyes' scleras were black, the irises gold. Her dark purple lips parted, showing her enlarged canines. Her purple-and-black evening gown looked gaudily expensive, her fingernails a bright red. Her red hair was done up in a bun with a silver decorative flower pinned to it.

"My men had fun catching you morsels," the vampire said with a smile. She ran her fingers down her dark lips. "Poor humans, all alone out there... did you get lost in the scary forest?" Her tone turned mocking, and it chilled Morrel.

The vampire stepped before Morrel and tilted his head back, admiring his neck. Morrel shivered at the touch of the woman's cold hand. "What's your name, boy?" she asked.

Morrel breathed rapidly through his nose but offered no answer. _Don't give anything to her..._

The woman licked her lips. "Allow me to go first, then. I am Cintrella Voldaren, matriarch of the Zwifalt Estate. You could call me one of Lady Olivia's favorites. Based on how many gifts she's given me, it simply _must_ be true." She ran a hand delicately down Morrel's cheek. "Now, your name...?"

Morrel felt himself sweat but was stubbornly silent.

Cintrella narrowed her gold-black eyes. "Oh, this will never do." In a flash, her fingers undid the buttons of Morrel's shirt and she whisked off the garment. She jabbed a finger over his heart.

"NO!" Morrel gasped and bared his teeth as red-black mana poured into his heart. He felt his body shake, his bones turning to lead, a howling scream resounding in his brain. Before his eyes, Cintrella loomed large, her face distorted as she opened her mouth wide, canines extending even further -

"WHO ARE YOU?" demanded the massive Cintrella, her voice carrying over that horrible howl, like a freezing wind.

"M-Morrel!" Morrel heard himself shriek. "Of Bant! I-I'm... a battlemage... of the Akrasa Kingdom!"

The visions and noise abruptly stopped. Morrel panted for breath, his body still shaking, tears burning in his eyes. "I'm from another world," he summarized meekly, glancing down. His brain felt numb.

"Are you, now? I'll have to see about that. Or not." Almost like a lover, Cintrella ran her hands along Morrel's bare chest. "Such a lovely boy... your heart is a noble one, but infested with fear and doubt. You must think that you've overstepped your lot in life!"

Morrel resumed his stubborn silence, but his brain ached from the effort. _Give her nothing more..._

Cintrella hummed to herself, seemingly lost in thought. Then, she nibbled at Morrel's neck, and he jerked as he felt her canines poke into his skin. His neck felt warm as Cintrella leeched blood.

The martriarch backed away, Morrel's blood damp on her lips. "Just a quick taste," she explained. "I think you'll make an excellent entree for the reception!"

Morrel felt his gut clench. "R-reception? Entree?"

Instead of answering, Cintrella walked over to Mizuki and lifted the girl's chin. Mizuki blinked herself awake.

"And you," Cintrella crooned. "What's _your_ name?"

Mizuki thrashed against her restraints. "Get me outta here, you... pale bitch!" Her face twisted in fury.

"No!" Morrel rasped. He felt a surge of protective anger. "D-don't you touch her! Get away!"

Cintrella ignored Morrel, and quickly tore off Mizuki's shirt, smiled, and pressed her finger over Mizuki's chest.

Morrel winced in sympathy as Mizuki shrieked in horror, her hair tangled and damp from cold sweat. Mizuki shuddered, her hands clenched into desperate fists in her mana cuffs.

"There, now." Cintrella lifted her finger. She held up Mizuki's chin with two fingers. "What's your name, little missy?"

"M... Mizuki," the girl groaned.

"Mizuki? Such a name. From where did you come, little Mizuki? 'Bant', like your friend Morrel said? You're clearly not a Stensian."

Mizuki visibly swallowed. "I-I was born on Kamigawa. Far from... from here."

Cintrella laughed. "Bant! Kamigawa! I'm learning all sorts of things today! My scribe is going to be busy as he interrogates you later. That's _before_ the reception, of course. You kids won't talk when you're devoured!"

"G-go ahead and try to eat me," Mizuki hissed. "I have claws. You'll see!"

"Oh, such a fighter you are," Cintrella commented. Again, like a tender lover, she ran her fingertips along Mizuki's chest, slowly, from the waist up, clearly savoring the feel of Mizuki's soft skin. The vampire gently caressed Mizuki's smallish breasts, testing the fabric of her bra. "And such a _pretty_ thing you are," Cintrella added. "I could eat you up right now, you're so sweet! Like a cake!"

Mizuki moaned, her lead lolling. "N-no... please..."

Cintrella's fingers reluctantly left Mizuki's breasts and held the girl's head up again. The vampire leaned over and sank her canines into Mizuki's neck, lingering for a few tense seconds.

"Oh, this is simply perfect!" Cintrella said, backing away and licking her lips. "More excellent blood. You, little Mizuki, can be the dessert! _Everyone_ will look forward to you!"

"What dessert?" Morrel growled. His heart raced not with terror anymore, but indignant rage. Seeing Mizuki tormented like that...

Cintrella put a hand over her heart. "Forgive me. Today is a very happy day, for my son, Ivan, is getting married! To a lovely girl of the Vaduva bloodline. They're a smaller vampire family, you see, so to earn marrying their daughter into the Voldarens, they'll bring gifts! I'll be sure to add them to my own treasury. But of course..." She smiled. "I've got my _own_ ultimate treasure, a little something to show off at the reception. Wait until you see it! I'll make sure you do, before you all die."

Morrel's eyes widened. _A shard of the Sphaera Vitae? If so, this wedding could be our chance!_ Of course, that meant going along with Cintrella Voldaren's plans. And Morrel had no intention of indulging a vampire.

But these restraints... could Morrel actually do anything? His, and Mizuki and Veldor's holy weapons, had probably been confiscated, as had Sora's capsule.

What was he to do?

"Fascinating," Veldor spoke up. "Looking forward to seeing your item."

"And you." Cintrella had an at-last look on her face as she stalked over to him. "You're an odd one, in that armor. None of us Voldarens could even take it off! Aren't you a bit over-dressed this way?"

"Part of my body," Veldor said. "Etherium. Cannot remove it any more than you can remove a skeleton while keeping subject alive."

Cintrella tilted her head. "Hmmmmm. You really are an odd one. Who are you?"

"Veldor, of Esper," he said simply. "Alumni of Cae'Xan University."

"Esper?" Cintrella repeated. "I'll be sure to have my scribe study it, along with 'Bant' and 'Kamigawa'. What else can you do?"

"Slay vampires, for example." Veldor's face was still mask-like. No fear showed in his eyes.

Cintrella scowled. "I don't think so!" She conjured red-black mana on her finger and placed it over where Veldor's heart should be.

Veldor looked down at the vampire's pale finger. "Ready for spell."

"This _is_ it!" Cintrella growled. "How can you...?"

"Clearly, organic heart required," Veldor figured. He ignored the red-black mana curling and burning on his brass-colored chest. "Yes. Indeed. Conduit to mental facilities through emotional routing. Interrogation technique unlike anything else I have seen."

"I'm not yours to study!" Cintrella snarled. She canceled the spell and lifted her finger. "What in hell are you?"

Veldor shrugged. "Man who assumes mantle of duty to preserve life, order, and pursuit of knowledge in Multiverse. Not the only one to assume such responsibility. But if I may say so, I am best at job."

Cintrella stared at Veldor in disbelief. Then, with a roar, she threw a terrific punch that knocked Veldor's head to the side. She shoved him hard, and he smashed into the back wall and crumpled in a heap, chair and all.

"No one mocks me," Cintrella huffed, fury burning in her eyes. "Duty to preserve life... we'll see how much life you preserve when we tear you apart! You'll make for a good toy at the wedding. We won't poison ourselves with _your_ blood."

With a haughty humph, Cintrella spun on her heel, stalked out of the room, and slammed the door so hard, a few books were knocked loose from their shelves. The chandeleir swayed on the ceiling.

Morrel stared at the door as a ringing silence fell. "So... what now?" he croaked. "Veldor, maybe _you_ don't feel fear, but Mizuki and I -"

"Got needed intel. Now for escape." Veldor's muffled voice drifted from his spot in the room. "Please watch."

Morrel craned his neck and, to his amazement, saw Veldor's left arm start to elongate and stretch from the elbow down, the metal like a thick, living liquid. Veldor's fingers fused and elongated, his whole arm like a long, flexible sword blade starting at his elbow.

"What the...?" Morrel gasped.

Veldor's left arm curled and snaked its way around, probing the mana cuffs that held Veldor's hands together. The end of the blade narrowed itself and slipped into the handcuffs' lock hole. Morrel heard a faint series of clicks.

The cuffs popped open.

Veldor's flexible blade-arm repeated the process on his ankle braces, then cut right through the mundane ropes that bound him to the chair. He stood, lifting his chin with enough pride to match Cintrella Voldaren.

Morrel gawked. "That was just like...!"

"Yes. Two-Blade. Changeling assassin. Inspired this design." Veldor's right arm similarly elongated itself into a silver blade from the elbow down. "Requested this design as soon as I left Lorwyn after fighting Two-Blade. Prototypes built and tested while I trained you both at Cae'Xan University. Equipped them right before we left for this plane."

"So your arms are totally...?"

"Poly-morphous liquid Etherium alloy," Veldor said. "Can become rigid to function as normal arms, or as blades. Metal can morph into other shapes. For example: lockpick."

"That's real nice," Mizuki said with forced patience, her bare, sweaty chest heaving. "Now can we _go_?"

"Stand by." Veldor's left arm-blade popped open Morrel and Mizuki's bindings, and the latter two hastily put their shirts back on.

Veldor glanced at the door. "Will be guards in hallway and throughout estate, especially with upcoming wedding. Prepare for combat. Must find Cintrella's 'treasure' and reacquire Sora, along with other missing items. Will be difficult, but based on Zoira's intel, cathars and Church priests may attack soon. Will reinforce them should they arrive in time."

Morrel swallowed and balled his hands into fists. At last, his green-white-blue mana aura fired up, radiating around him. Next to him, Mizuki conjured her black aura, her left arm's curse manifesting.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Mizuki said grimly.

Morrel couldn't agree more.

*o*o*o*o*

"Remember: I'll do the talking at first," Nihil muttered to Azrael and Rohkan as the three of them were escorted into a bustling Mardu camp early one morning. "I have expertise of this plane and its people. I know it as well as my home. But after that, Azrael, you can seal the deal with your charisma."

Azrael and Rohkan said nothing, but Nihil smiled all the same. These ridiculous Mardu would be perfect instruments of his and Azrael's search.

A strong, stiff breeze picked up and swayed the dry grass, causing it to ripple like ocean waves. Horse-mounted warriors and scouts regularly trotted in and out of the camp's perimeter while armored aven soldiers swooped overhead, halberds in their clawed hands. At regular intervals, a long, red flag waved, the symbol of a pair of dragon wings painted roughly in black. In the distance, Nihil could see craggy rock formations and desolate mesas. Thick gray clouds drifted overhead, absorbing the orange morning sun's rays.

The plan was easy enough: Nihil had convinced the Mardu scouts that he and his fellows were powerful mercenaries looking for work, and the dullards had bought it. But he still had to seal the deal.

"Up this way," one of Nihil's escorts grunted, pointing with his scabbard at the largest of the camp's circular tents. "The hordechief will see you there."

Nihil breathed deep as he trekked across the dusty dirt ground. He savored the scent of fresh meat being roasted over spits on fire pits, the smell of fresh leather goods, the tangy smell of nomad beer being passed around, and, of course, the musk of orc, human, and goblin warriors. Nihil's ears rang with rough talk and laughter, smiths pounding armor and weapons into shape, and horses whinnying.

 _War lives in them,_ Nihil thought. _If only my own people could get their hands on them..._

But that would have to wait for a while, if ever.

"Into the ger," the same escort said when the party arrived at the tent.

"The what?" Rohkan asked.

"It's their word for 'tent'," Nihil said. "Sturdy, but easy to set up and take down."

Rohkan shrugged.

Inside the ger, Nihil, along with Rohkan and Azrael, stood at attention as a brawny human man slowly turned around from his table of maps. He wore the typical red and silver armor of the Horde, but with the addition of dragonteeth tied to his pauldrons, giving him a wide, pointed profile. More dragon teeth had been glued to his gloves' knuckles, and runes had been painted in black on his helmet.

"I am hordechief Ganbaatar Knucklepoint," the man declared. His weather-beaten face, complete with high cheekbones, narrow, cunning eyes, and a well-trimmed black moustache almost impressed Nihil. He absent-mindedly fingered the handle of his sheathed, curved saber. "Who are you to stand before me?"

Nihil stepped forward. "I am Nihil, with my fellows Azrael and Rohkan," he said firmly. "Wandering warriors for hire. In our years together, we have ransacked Dirgur Stronghold of its wealth, stolen much from the temples on the Marang River, and conquered four Abzan oasis towns. Other hordechiefs have hired us to great effect... until they ran out of good targets for plunder. Will _you_?"

"Will _I_?" Ganbaatar huffed in indignant fury. He stomped forward in his heavy boots. His eyes sparked like struck flint. "With my men, I have swept across Tarkir and painted our names in blood across the land! The whole world is my battlefield!"

Now, Ganbaatar stared Nihil down, daring the extra-planar man to back off.

Nihil's steely eyes met Ganbaatar halfway.

"There's only three of you," Ganbaatar added, wandering over to Azrael and Nihil. "So few?"

"In the mercenary line of work, it means more treasure per head," Nihil put in. "And with our skills, numbers aren't needed. We fight with the ferocity of a battalion."

"Hmmmmmm!" Ganbaatar made an appraising hum as his eyes took in Rohkan and Azrael. "I can feel it... your strength." He whirled to face Nihil. "I never seen the likes of you before. What can you do? Show me! Outside!"

Nihil led the party to the camp's edge and faced the desolate plains. He exhaled slowly to focus his black-white mana, raised his left palm, and muttered a certain hymn to himself.

A blistering cone of purple flame issued from Nihil's palm and enveloped a wide swath of ground. Four seconds later, it was gone, along with a vast area of the plains. It wasn't just scorched, but annihilated from existence.

Ganbaatar stared. "What..."

Nihil grinned and raised his left hand to eye level, clenching it into a fist. "Took me a while to learn that one. Good enough?"

"And you lot?" Ganbaatar asked, motioning to Rohkan and Azrael. The former launched a quartet of fireballs from his swords, and Azrael summoned a dome of protective blue mana that covered the four of them.

Nihil tested the dome barrier's edge. It held against his considerable strength. At least for now.

"Are you convinced?" Azrael asked Ganbaatar politely. "The love of conquest has brought us together, and if you hire us, you'll revel in our expertise. We are _professionals._ Surely, a great leader such as yourself can appreciate that?"

 _Good,_ Nihil thought. _Bring him to us. I wonder what sort of spell or talisman Azrael is using? No way he hired Rohkan and Maretta with pretty words ALONE._

And whatever Azrael may think, no such spell had successfully taken root in Nihil's mind.

Ganbaatar broke into a toothy grin as Azrael lowered the dome. "Ancestors protect me, you boys..." He suddenly laughed and clapped Azrael roughly on the back. "You'll have your share of the plunder, all right! You're all hired, right here, right now! May the wind be at your back and push you to glory! We ride!"

"To where?" Azrael asked, hands clasped behind his back.

Ganbaatar pointed north. "We got an old score to settle up there."

Nihil looked north and felt a dark lust uncoil inside him. He knew what was coming. He'd finally have his moment.

None of these pathetic people around him would be ready.


	19. Familiar Faces

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 19: Familiar Faces**

"I don't understand, Veldor," Morrel muttered as the trio snuck through Zwifalt Estate's lavish, candle-lit halls. "Those mana cuffs... your arms..."

"Oh. Yes," Veldor said vaguely. "Etherium is not metal manipulated by mana, you see. Is an actual power source in itself. Part of theory that matter and energy interchangable. Studied equations in college."

"Yes...?"

A small grin crossed Veldor's face. "Have never seen mana cuffs capable of containing such energy. Not what cuffs are designed for. Overwhelms them. Too... alien."

Mizuki grunted. "Look at that. Your geekiness saves all our butts."

"Will take that as compliment."

Morrel blinked. "So, that entire time when we were in the study, you could have...?"

"Needed intel from interrogation. And enemies lower guard slightly when convinced of our apparent helplessness."

Mizuki stared. "You're one cold bastard."

"Not interested in labels." Veldor stopped at an intersection's corner and peeked. He drew back. "Stairs to ground level. Can hear conversations. Preparations for Ivan Voldaren's wedding in reception hall. Many vampires roaming estate, getting ready."

Morrel nodded. "Right. And where are _we_ going?"

"Must find treasure room. Location may be somewhat intuitive, based on typical mansion layouts," Veldor said. "Follow me down hall. Must find stairs up to third and fourth levels."

Morrel followed with Mizuki through the quiet halls, passing expensive paintings, tall, decorative vases, and wall-mounted candelabras. He could see into a few of the rooms he passed, such as studies, bedrooms, and even a training room filled with weapons and leather dummies. His sense of claustrophobia only increased as he crept along, the hairs on his neck and arms standing up. The cool, milky moonlight pouring through the windows offered little comfort. This place felt so _wrong._

After checking another corner, Veldor silently went up a flight of carpeted stairs, his blade-arms poised at the ready. He peeked around the left corner up ahead-

"HEY!" a man's voice roared.

Morrel heard a thump, and he saw Veldor get thrown back down, tumbling down the stairs in a metal heap. Veldor's black cape folded itself over his face, and Veldor squirmed to free himself.

A pale man in a black tuxedo stalked down the stairs, his long, sharp canines peeking out from under his upper lip. His gold eyes burned with anger. "You rats got free?" he hissed in disbelief. "Did Cintrella get lax with security? What a disgrace."

Morrel concentrated his green-white mana in his left arm and clenched a fist. "Come and get us, then!" he grated. Next to him, Mizuki held her clawed left hand at the ready.

The Voldaren vampire hesitated for just a split second. Then, he threw back his head and let out a deafening wail that reverberated off the wood-paneled walls.

Morrel jerked back as though stung, clapping his hands over his ears. _What-_

The vampire's wail tapered off, but more echoed throughout Zwifalt Estate, more and more as the other Voldarens answered the alarm.

Veldor straightened out his cape, got to his feet, and narrowed his eyes. "Plan going very wrong. May have to abort."

The Voldaren man snarled and pounced like a jaguar. He knocked Mizuki aside, throwing the girl against the wall. He flashed right past Morrel and threw a heavy punch that sent Veldor reeling, his knuckles pounding into the Etherium.

Veldor slashed his blade-arms through the air, only to miss as the vampire weaved and bobbed through the assault. Just as quickly, the vampire kicked Veldor's knee and seized his throat, lifting him into the air.

"Cintrella mentioned you," the vampire said, leering into Veldor's face. "Some smart-ass freak!" He turned to Morrel. "Try anything, boy, and he dies right here!"

Morrel froze. _I can't reach him in time... Veldor's neck is fully flesh, with bone. He'd die if -_

Then it hit him.

Charging up his blue-green mana, Morrel slammed his hand, palm-first, onto the floor. Blue-green crystals sprouted from the floor and surged upwards, encasing the vampire's arms.

"Very good!" Veldor wrenched himself free of the vampire's numb fingers and slashed the bloodsucker's calves with his blade-arms.

The vampire sagged in his crystal restraints, blood leaking from his legs. "Vermin!" he rasped. Then, with a heave, he shattered Morrel's crystals, limping toward both Morrel and Mizuki, fighting against his injured legs.

Veldor rapped his knuckles on a tall window's glass and shattered it. "Time to go," he said. "Must form new plan."

"No!" The vampire reached out to Morrel and Mizuki, but drew back when Mizuki knocked his arms aside with her cursed hand. All three humans sprang through the open window, and Morrel softened their landing with a white-blue mana barrier.

Morrel rolled off the barrier and dispelled it, standing on the estate's expansive, grassy grounds. A chilly wind ruffled his hair and clothes. "What now?"

Veldor glanced up at the estate. By now, all its windows were lit from alarm. "Please follow me."

His mind racing, Morrel dashed across Zwifalt Estate's grounds with the others, hurrying past neatly-tended gardens, dead trees, and decorative hedges. By now, Innistrad's huge moon hung high in the sky, its brilliant light half-hidden by passing clouds. The misty, jagged Geier Mountains loomed all around, since Zwifalt Estate was built at the base of one such mountain. And in the pine forest just outside the estate, Morrel could hear wolves howl.

No wonder Zoira hated this plane...

The estate's grounds had a tall wrought-iron fence, complete with a shut set of double gates up ahead. Veldor headed right for those gates, but Morrel got the feeling that the gates' locks would be enchanted. Would Veldor's liquid metal arms handle them like the mana cuffs?

"Uh, guys?" Mizuki said tensely, looking over her shoulder.

Morrel risked a glance and felt his heart freeze. Dozens of well-dressed Voldarens of all ages spilled from the mansion's open front doors, all of them letting out more wails. Gold light glowed from inside the mansion's front hall and created a long strip of illumination on the grounds.

Veldor skidded to a halt at the gates. He studied the locks for a second, then inserted his left arm's blade, which morphed into a thin point. Morrel heard clicks and clacks inside.

"Trouble," Veldor hissed. "Complex enchantment. Code algorithms foreign to me."

Mizuki tensed in a defensive position as the Voldarens raced across the grounds with alarming speed. "Can you crack those codes, or something?"

"Possibly," Veldor said tightly. "Need to escape to attempt another break-in. With assistance, of course."

"Huh? What 'assistance'?" Morrel demanded. He turned to face the incoming Voldarens, preparing to conjure a thick mana barrier. He didn't want to guess how long it would last against vampire claws and fangs. And at the head of the vampire horde, Morrel saw Cintrella Voldaren, fangs out, fingers outstretched like a beast's claws.

Morrel heard muffled men's shouts.

Mizuki twitched. "You hear that?"

"Wait." Veldor retracted his blade-hand and squinted at the dark pine forest just outside Zwifalt Estate's grounds. "Wait... indeed!"

Morrel saw the yellow light of countless torches illuminate the dark, misty grounds.

Uniformed men and women in tri-corn hats emerged from the ominous forest, with swords, maces, and halberds in hand, a war cry on their lips.

"Church reinforcements!" Veldor muttered. "Perfect."

"I'm sorry?" Morrel blurted.

Veldor backed away from the gate. Nearby, the Voldarens skidded to a halt at the sight of the human warriors, hissing in defiant anger.

"Zoira must have timed our mission carefully," Veldor said, a rare note of fondness in his tone. "She knew of cathar movements in Nephalia and here in Stensia. Probablly sent us here at approxiamate time of cathars storming vampire strongholds. Could not know precise time to the minute, but had a margin of error of no more than a few hours. Our capture was fortunate, allowing cathars to catch up to us in time like this." He held his blade-arms at the ready. "And now, combat. Please be ready."

"YOU!" Cintrella pointed an accusing finger at Veldor. "This was your doing!"

Veldor shrugged. "Merely accomplice in plan. Blame poorly placed."

At that moment, the cathars swarmed the gate, and a few of them threw out their hands with a flare of white mana. The gate locks glowed red as though molten, then melted right off.

 _I suppose Church magic works, too,_ Morrel thought dryly. Veldor may be brilliant, but he was hardly a holy man.

The cathars threw open the gates and charged across Zwifalt Estate's grounds.

With a collective cry of hunger, the Voldarens surged forth to meet them.

Morrel marveled as the cathars struck with well-practiced precision. The warriors covered each other's flanks and disrupted the Voldarens' own strikes, scoring terrific blows on the undead bloodsuckers. Priests among the cathars threw up pearly white barriers like Morrel's own kind, allowing vampire claws and fangs to skate off their surfaces.

Then, the cathars made good on their initial attack and drew wooden stakes and silver knives. Several Voldarens let out an unearthy wail of agony as the cathars stabbed the vampires' grievous wounds. Then, to Morrel's amazement, the vampires seized up, then crumbled to dust, leaving only their expensive, blood-soaked clothes.

"Anti-vampire technology," Veldor said, and from his body, he produced his own knife. "Had this hidden on my person. Cintrella failed to confiscate it. Same for my holy water."

"Oh, right!" Morrel grinned. "Now, do you want Mizuki and I to cover you, so you can finish off the Voldarens?"

"Of course," Veldor said with a nod. He tensed. "Wait!"

The cathar attack clearly slowed. Blow by blow, the many remaining Voldarens pushed back, this time infusing their claws and fangs with sickly red-black mana. Holy shields shattered like glass and cathar swords were knocked out of their owners' hands with inhuman strength, then the cunning Voldarens pounced on the openings in the cathars' defenses. Men and women cried out in terror and pain as vampire claws tore their bodies apart, or when their fangs sank into necks. Morrel saw more than one injured vampire mend its wounds with the nourishment of fresh human blood.

Just as Morrel charged up his mana for a barrier to protect the nearby cathars, however, he saw more movement near the mansion. It only took him a second to recognize the attractive and wily woman who joined the battle, blue mana whip in hand.

"Maretta's here!" Morrel grated.

Maretta howled in laughter as her whip's four subjects, all well-dressed Voldarens, leaped into the fray. Pumped by Maretta's blue-white mana, the four thralls pushed the cathars further back, galvanizing the Voldarens.

"Focus on Maretta," Veldor said firmly. "Cover me, Morrel, Mizuki. Must neutralize her. First, her minions."

"I remember her on Kamigawa, in the castle of infinite blood," Mizuki said with dismay. "She seemed so cool..."

Veldor actually snarled. "No. She attempted to seduce you both to Azrael's mad scheme. Villainous woman. Must stop her _now_."

With that, Veldor sprang.

Nearby Voldarens turned away from the cathars and chased after Veldor, and their claws tore his cape right off and raked against his Etherium torso in showers of sparks. Hastily, Veldor kicked a vampire aside, then thrust his right arm blade into another vampire's chest. The second vampire gasped and stumbled back, hands on her deep wound.

Veldor morphed his right arm's hand back into shape and thrust his silver knife into his victim's open wound, reducing her to dust in seconds.

"Hell, yeah!" Mizuki braced herself and thrust out her cursed arm, black mana charging on her skin. Tendrils of black mana surged forth, slapping aside a few vampires to buy Veldor and the weary cathars time. The Church warriors took their chance to retaliate, downing two more vampires and standing off evenly against the rest.

Morrel, meanwhile, threw up a barrier just as three Voldarens tried to tackle Veldor. The bloodsuckers bounced off the barrier and fell in a confused heap, hissing in anger.

Finally, Veldor charged Maretta's flank.

"Hello again, Veldor!" Maretta called out over the battle's din. "Handsome as ever. Are those arms new?"

"Very new. Prototype," Veldor snapped. "Will demonstrate."

Just as Maretta's four vampire thralls charged Veldor, the Esper planeswalker crouched slightly to steady himself and extended his left blade-arm.

Morrel gasped in shock as Veldor's blade-arm extended like rubber, going over thirty feet forth and slashing Maretta's right shoulder. Blood seeped from the wound.

"You...!" Maretta bared her teeth in pain, stumbling back a step. "What kind of magic...?"

"Poly-morphous liquid Etherium alloy," Veldor said flatly, retracting his blade to normal length. "Enjoying demonstration?" As if to accentuate that point, he re-extended the blade and thrusted the point right at Maretta's forehead.

A spherical barrier of white mana enveloped Maretta's whole body, and Veldor's arm-blade bounced right off, retracting once again. Maretta laughed again.

"Nice job, forcing my hand like this!" Maretta hooted. "Let's see which of us lasts longer!" She twitched her mana whip's handle.

Her four vampires morphed into giant bats and swooped down on Veldor.

Veldor was crushed under an onslaught of claws, wings, and fangs. He vanished into the vicious dogpile.

Morrel felt his gut clench. "We gotta help him!" he told Mizuki. "I'll cover you."

Mizuki nodded tensely and sprinted after Veldor.

A Voldaren bared his fangs and reached out to Morrel, so Morrel charged his green-white mana in his left fist and landed a strong hook to the vampire's jaw. The vampire was knocked far back, yelping in shock. Nearby, Mizuki's claws tore into a vampire's chest, and she kicked the bloodsucker away.

Meanwhile, Maretta's four bat-vampires took flight, carrying Veldor in their claws high into the air. Morrel watched in horror as they took turns swatting him with their wings and tearing into him with their claws. Chips of ruined Etherium scattered across the battlefield, and Veldor's flesh-and-blood legs bled. Then, with a loud crack, a bat slapped Veldor's right leg and broke it.

A cackling Maretta tugged at her whip's cords, and the vampires threw Veldor to the ground, and the metal man crashed in a miserable heap.

Maretta looked over at Morrel and Mizuki. "Well, more familiar faces!" she said fondly. "You kids are on the losing side, y'know. Azrael can give you all kinds of power and wealth if you'd just help him! What are Zoira and Veldor giving you, huh?"

Blood pounded in Morrel's ears as he recalled what Veldor had said about the planeswalker code: _"As world-walkers with great skill, we have moral duty to make every plane a better place, and keep watch on Multiverse. Not a job that we can turn our backs on, not in good conscience. We make a stand where others cannot, or will not, do so."_

Now to put that into practice.

"Sorry, Maretta," Morrel said, charging blue-green mana into his muscles. He felt himself wearing out fast, but he'd be damned if he backed off now! "Azrael's in the wrong. He'll do much more harm than good. Neither he nor you realize what you're doing, or what you threaten to destroy."

"What he said," Mizuki added with a taunting grin. "And if stopping you wackos keeps everyone safe and rids me of Haijin-no-Imari's curse, then here I come."

Maretta chuckled. "You kids are so cute together, you know that? So, I'll be nice and make sure you _die_ together, too! That's fair, right?" As she spoke, her four bat-vampires gathered around her, flapping their leathery wings to hover in place.

Morrel glanced at Veldor's prone form. "Okay, Veldor. Let's see if your training pays off."


	20. Psycho

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 20: Pyscho**

"Training?" Maretta repeated. "What could Veldor even teach you? How to be an obsessive wackjob like him?" She grinned.

Mizuki pointed her cursed index finger at Maretta. "Actually, _this_." She unleashed a wriggling mass of razor-edged black mana tendrils that surged through the air.

"Whoa!" Maretta took an automatic step back and tugged on the mana whip's cords. At once, her four Voldaren bats swooped in to block the blow. The bloodsuckers extended their wings to form a living wall, red-black mana humming on theier wings' membranes just as Mizuki's tendrils hit.

A crackling spray of black mana blasted into the air, and Morrel wrinkled his nose at the smell of burning skin and hair. _Mizuki's going all out! Now it's my turn._ He tensed his blue-green mana and prepared to spring.

Time slowed to a crawl as Morrel leaped into the air, propelled by his green mana. It was a surreal sight, the mana discharge from Mizuki's spell creeping through the air like thick, molten lava. The four Voldarens were far too slow to intercept Morrel as he vaulted over them, his skin cold from sweat. _I don't have long!_

Morrel landed right before Maretta, charging his green-white mana into his left fist. He drew it back and swung with all his might.

Maretta's white mana barrier automatically flared up, the smooth, pearly surface spitting and sparking at Morrel's contact point. His mana-charged knuckles grated against the barrier's surface, and cracks slowly spread from the point of contact, spider-webbing across the whole barrier -

Time snapped back to normal and Morrel gasped with the sudden shock. His legs wobbled from exhaustion and he fought to stay upright, grinding his fist into Maretta's barrier with a desperate shout.

Sharp claws dug into Morrel's back and he yelped as a Voldaren bat wrenched him away from its mistress. The creature flung Morrel across the estate's grounds and he tumbled, fighting to stop himself. He dug his feet into the dewy ground and halted, panting for breath. _So close..._

Morrel got to his feet just as he saw Mizuki fire a wide cone of black mana from her left finger. The very air shuddered under the pressure, the spell threatening to envelope Maretta-

Two Voldarens, although battered from Mizuki's tendrils, easily swatted Mizuki aside with their wings, and Mizuki's spell went wide, firing wildly into empty air.

"Wow! You kids know your stuff," Maretta commented as she stepped toward her opponents. "Those tendrils, that super-speed... looks like today's youth has some real talent."

Then, before Mizuki could get up, Maretta issued another cord from her mana whip and attached it to the back of Mizuki's neck.

Morrel stared. "No!"

"Oh, yes." Maretta giggled as she commanded Mizuki to rise, and the Kamigawa girl shakily obeyed. The four bats hovered in place, watching as Mizuki shuffled toward Morrel, her cursed arm extended as though to seize Morrel's shirt.

"Let her go!" Morrel blurted, but he knew it was no good. Maretta had seemed amicable in Haijin-no-Imari's castle, but now... he saw what kind of vicious witch she actually was.

 _Why did it have to be like this?_

Mizuki sprang like a cat and tackled Morrel to the ground. Her face was twisted in horror and panic as her body disobeyed her, her dark hair tangled with sweat. "Do somethin'!" Mizuki yelped. She straddled Morrel, pinning him down. "I-I'm trying to fight her, but her whip..."

Nearby, Maretta marched closer to her victims, smiling. "Look at that," she said. "Like two lovers. Except for _this_ part." She twitched the mana cord on Mizuki's neck.

Baring her teeth in agony, Mizuki reached down and wrapped her cursed hand's cold fingers around Morrel's throat and started to squeeze. "S-stop me!" she wheezed. "C'mon!"

Morrel struggled against Mizuki's weight, his muscles burning. "Y-your mana aura," he gasped. "It's too heavy!"

"Then hurt me!" Mizuki said urgently. "Should interrupt my aura long enough to free you! Make me let go!"

Morrel fought to make a wry smile. "H-hurt you? I could never." His head felt light, and Zwifalt Estate spun around him.

"Don't be stupid! Hurry up!"

Slowly, awkwardly, Morrel raised his left hand, charging his green-white mana. "You understand, don't you?"

"COME ON!"

Morrel saw spots in his vision, but found the strength to throw a hasty jab at Mizuki's temple.

Green-white mana blasted from the impact and Mizuki tumbled away, a nasty bruise on her face.

"You actually did it?" Maretta said, raising her eyebrows. "What a naughty boy! Fine, then..." She jiggled her mana whip's handle.

Mizuki sprang to her feet and slashed her claws through the air.

Pain blasted in Morrel's brain as Mizuki's claws raked his chest. Blood sprayed and soaked into his clothes.

"No! No!" Mizuki stared in horror as her body mangled Morrel's flesh. "P-please don't be dead..."

Morrel coughed and somehow sat up, hands clasped on his searing wound. "I-I'm not dead yet."

Maretta made an impatient noise and pointed. "Mizuki, hurry up and kill him already! Go!"

Mizuki took a step forward-

A crackling web of white-black mana enveloped her, and Mizuki dropped to the ground, shrieking and spasming.

"What!" Maretta frantically looked all around. "What was -"

Veldor had gotten to his feet and stumbled across the grassy field, his right leg bent at a bad angle. His right arm was extended, his hand back to normal. "Mana net launcher," he said. "Useful for subduing target. And disrupting mana connections." As he spoke, the blue mana cord on Mizuki's neck broke off and retracted into Maretta's whip handle.

"You..." Maretta snarled. "Fine! I'll finish you without Mizuki's help!" She pointed, and her three bats prepared to swoop on Veldor.

 _I must help him!_ Morrel cursed his open wound and his light-headedness. Then it hit him. Of course! Hastily, he gathered more green-blue mana and manifested it on his wound. He gasped in pain and bared his teeth, but didn't stop until his finely-controlled mana crystals sealed the wound. He tested the makeshift bandages. They held firm.

The Voldaren bats descended on Veldor.

Morrel sprang to his feet and gathered what little mana he had left. Throwing out a hand, he conjured a mana barrier that blocked two Voldarens, the bats bouncing awkwardly off the surface. _Yes!_

Veldor dodged the other two Voldarens as they crashed into the ground nearby, and he reformed his right hand onto a long blade. He thrust the blade right into one bat's head.

The wound smoked and sizzled, and the bat's head exploded in a shower of bone and gore.

Morrel stared. "How...?"

"Coated arms in holy water," Veldor explained. "Otherwise, impossible to kill vampires."

Maretta scowled. "Cintrella didn't confiscate it?"

"Hid bottle in compartment in chest."

Maretta stared, then howled in anger and sent in her other three bats. The vampires circled around Veldor, trying to bite and claw him. Veldor dodged each blow with expert precision and leaped over the vampires, then extended his left arm's blade.

However, Veldor's intended target did a barrel-roll to evade it, and Veldor's blade arm sunk into the ground. Another bat raked its claws on Veldor's chest, and another swatted him aside with a wing strike. Veldor tumbled helplessly on the ground, his blade-arms retracting to default length.

Maretta put her free hand on her hip. "It's beyond me how you can move like that with a broken leg."

"Pain... only in nerves," Veldor groaned. "Can compartmentalize brain. Pain put aside, like placing an item behind others on a shelf."

Maretta stared in disbelief. "Just die, you metal freak!" she snarled. Her three bats gathered to finish him off-

Veldor snapped his fingers, and Mizuki's mana net vanished.

Mizuki leaped to her feet and pointed right at Maretta, a small sphere of black mana charging on her fingertip. She fired.

Another devastating cone of black mana issued forth, and this time, it connected. The mana vaporized Maretta's weakened barrier, shards of white mana flying through the air like shattered glass.

Morrel found himself charging across the dewy grass, ignoring the hideous pain radiating from his chest with each step. He didn't care. He knew what he had to do.

Through the haze of lingering black mana, Morrel charged the last of his green-white mana into his left fist, drew it back, and sank a terrific punch to Maretta's lower back.

Maretta shrieked as Morrel's blow sent her flying. She sprawled onto her stomach, her mana whip rolling from her hand. She scrambled to seize it.

One of Veldor's long, liquid metal arms reached out and morphed a hand that grabbed the whip handle first. Maretta helplessly reached out to retake the whip handle as Veldor retracted his blade, holding the whip handle close to his chest. He shortened his left arm's blade into a knife and slashed.

The whip handle was cut cleanly in half.

The three Voldaren bats shrieked as their bonds vanished. They hovered in place for a second, squeaking at each other, until they swooped away to rejoin the main battle where the Voldarens tried to hold off the cathar incursion.

Maretta gasped in pain and tried to get up, but Mizuki stomped over and held her left hand's claws right at the older woman's throat. "You're done, bitch," Mizuki snarled. "Sit the hell down!"

Shakily, resentment burning in her eyes, Maretta sat cross-legged, panting for breath. "What now, girly?" she asked. Her mockingly flirty tone shook. "Gonna kill me?"

"I should," Mizuki grated. "You psycho! Trying to make me kill Morrel all nice and slow, workin' with vampires..."

Maretta laughed. "Zwifalt Estate made for a good trap, didn't it?"

"You had this crap planned out all along, didn't you?"

"I even made sure the local cathars sent a request to Havengul for reinforcements, so Zoira would overhear and send you guys here," Maretta gloated. "Such a good plan... and it almost worked. Well, it was fun."

Mizuki drew back her cursed arm to slash at Maretta's throat -

Veldor's left arm extended and hooked its end around Mizuki's wrist like a claw. "No," Veldor said firmly, shambling over. "May need her."

"But when we get the Sphaera shard here, we don't actually need her for anything, right?" Mizuki glowered at Maretta.

"Unsure. Wait and see. Need battle to conclude first."

Mizuki relaxed. "Ugh. Fine!"

"Very good." Veldor retracted both arms and reformed his hands. "Morrel, how is your injury?"

Morrel sat cross-legged like Maretta and winced. "I'm stable, but don't expect me to fight or go anywhere."

"Not needed. Stand by."

*o*o*o*o*

Slowly, but surely, the valiant cathars repulsed the Voldaren counter-attack and resumed the offensive. Without Maretta's help, and being outnumbered, the Voldarens fell one by one, exploding into dust as wooden stakes impaled them or dissolving when holy water doused them. Many cathars fell as well, soaking Zwifalt Estate's grounds in hot blood.

Only Cintrella stubbornly remained of the vampires after a bitter struggle, and at last, a trio of priests locked Cintrella's wrists and ankles in white enchantments, and the burliest cathar drove his stake into the vampire's heart with a flourish. Cintrella seized in her restraints, threw back her head, and let out a pained howl just before her flesh turned to dust.

A horrible silence fell over Zwifalt Estate, broken only by the moans and curses of injured cathars. Morrel watched wearily as several white-robed priests applied green-white mana to the soldiers' wounds, and one such priest approached Morrel's party.

"You lot need healing?" the priest said gruffly through his thick black beard. He tapped the end of his staff into the dewy ground, demanding an answer. His eyes glinted under his bicorn hat.

Veldor nodded. "Leg broken. Companions here need general healing."

"Right. Hang on." The priest knelt by Veldor and enveloped the Esper man's leg in an oval-shaped barrier, the flesh mending in its gentle light. He did the same for Mizuki's wounds, and moved on to Morrel. The Bant battlemage sighed with relief as the cathar gently dispelled the crystal bandages and applied his healing spell.

The priest pursed his lips. "How'd you people end up here, anyway? You fight well, but... this is no place for you."

"We're... well... looking for something," Morrel said carefully, patiently waiting as his chest wound sealed up inch by inch. "The Voldarens stole it." He decided not to say from whom the Voldarens had stolen the Sphaera shard.

"That right, boy?" The healer turned to Veldor. "You, chap... did the Voldarens catch you while lookin' for this... thing... of yours?"

Veldor dusted himself off. "Need to obtain item Voldarens stole. Very important. Belongs to an associate of mine. Its presence here strengthens Voldarens. Don't want that."

The priest shook his head. "Damn straight. We won the battle, but blast it, we lost too many men. Can't even keep the whole area secure anymore. We're losin' the war, we are."

Morrel fell silent, staring at the ground. He burned to help these people more against monsters like Cintrella and her family. It reminded him of home, the pristine Bantian kingdoms on fire, the people fleeing to refugee camps to go hungry and battle disease, always getting bad news from the front...

 _Easy._ Morrel took a deep breath. _The invaders will still be there when you get back. For now, remember the planeswalker code!_

"We're going in," another cathar, a captain by the look of him, announced. He led a squad of six.

Veldor sprang to his feet. "May I? Must find something Voldarens stole."

The captain took in Veldor with his narrowed eyes. "Fine. I suppose we owe you for the help. Just stay where we can see you."

 _Stensians,_ Morrel thought. _I can see why they're so tense, seeing how they have to deal with vampires all the time! And this gloomy weather..._

As Veldor marched off with the cathars into Zwifalt Estate's open front doors, Mizuki settled next to Morrel, a hurt look on her face. "You okay?" she asked tentatively. She ran her fingers along Morrel's bare chest.

"Yeah. You got me good, but this guy's magic..." Morrel put a hand on Mizuki's far shoulder. "I'm okay."

"Still feels wrong," Mizuki said with a shudder. "I could feel everything that was happening. I'm... I'm sorry it happened. If we were more careful..."

Morrel smiled and squeezed Mizuki's shoulder. "Thank you. It's not really your fault, though." His face fell. "But what about you? Are ther any lingering effects from Maretta's whip?"

"No," Maretta cut in. She hadn't moved an inch, sitting cross-legged nearby. "Your lady friend's fine. Such a good servant she could have been..."

Mizuki snarled. "Stuff it, you slag. Don't try and touch us again. And if you try to planeswalk away, I won't show the same kind of mercy Veldor did!"

Maretta shrugged. "Okay, fine. I could use a breather, anyway."

Mizuki glared at the older woman but didn't say anything.

Half an hour later, the cathars and Veldor returned, carrying armloads of treasures and weapons. Veldor rejoined Morrel and Mizuki, carrying something under his arm.

"What's that?" Morrel asked. "Did you find the Sphaera Vitae shard? Do the cathars have it?" He looked over at the church warriors, but saw no such thing.

Veldor shook his head. "I provided exact profile of Sphaera Vitae shards, including their mana signature, but nothing similar was found. Most notable artifact was this." He unrolled the item: an ornate scroll, with strange, pointy text on it. Gruesome, crude diagrams of tortured people and what looked like demons covered it.

Mizuki made a face. "What the hell?"

"Demonic scroll," Veldor said. "Useful to summon and control lesser demons, and enter pacts with more powerful ones. Mainly used by cultists and vampires, apparently. This must be what Cintrella intended to show the visiting Vaduva vampires during Ivan Voldaren's wedding. Not Sphaera Vitae shard."

Morrel hung his head. All this... just for a demonic scroll?

Veldor rolled up the scroll and tossed it to a cathar. "Stensia lead clearly a bust. Must move on with plans. Will also alert cathars of impending Vaduva family visit. Cannot fight any more vampires for now. We will also leave monentarily."

Mizuki shrugged and got up with Morrel. "Where are we goin'?" she asked. "It better not be even nastier than this!"

"Would like you both to arrange for cathars to escort you to a pier, to take a ship to the Nephalia province," Veldor said. "As compensation for aiding cathars. Certain that they will agree. Not an unreasonable request."

Morrel nodded. Although healed, he was still weary. He tried not to sway in place. "All right. And you? Your Etherium looks rather badly damaged..."

"Will return to Esper for repairs," Veldor explained. He reached out and grabbed Maretta's upper left arm and forced her to her feet. "And will escort prisoner to a facility on the Cliffs of Ot. Guards will detain her in cell until we need her. Escape unlikely, especially given her whip's destruction."

Maretta gave Veldor an appraising look. "Jail, huh? I've been naughty, haven't I?"

Veldor scowled at her. "Coquettish behavior unnecessary. Do not attempt to flee in AEther, or on Esper. Will end badly for you."

Maretta made a theatrical sigh and slumped her shoulders. "Okay, okay. I'll behave myself... for once."

But as Veldor charged up his white-blue-black planeswaling gate to take Maretta away, Maretta winked at Morrel and mimed blowing a kiss. "See you later, kiddo. It's been fun."

Mizuki made a dismissive hand gesture. "Go away, slag."

"Such a bad girl," Maretta commented, just before she and Veldor vanished from Innistrad.

Morrel fixed his eyes onto Mizuki's and grinned. "So... ready to get out of here?"

Mizuki grimaced. "I can't even put it into words..."


	21. Nephalia

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 21: Nephalia**

In an iron-brick cell in some gods-forsaken jail on Esper, Maretta lay on the cell's rickety cot face-down, hands clasped on her head in dismay. Hours had passed, the Esper sun arcing across the sky, its rays poking through the jail's barred windows. She had heard the rustling clank of Etherium gargoyles and drakes swooping by overhead, almost like they were taunting her with their freedom.

How had things gone so wrong? Maretta's bitter tears had already dried in the cot's musty fabric, but she still bitterly clung to her last victorious moments on Innistrad, when she thought that an easy win was hers. Until those stupid kids had butted in and thrashed her with those fancy new spells of hers! Those damned brats!

More distantly, Maretta could still remember her days on her native Ravnica, her pride at joining the Azorius Senate's Fourth Court Enforcers platoon, mana whip in hand. She recalled patrolling the mean streets of the Seventh Precinct, rounding up Rakdos freaks before they set too much stuff on fire, or dragging off Simic weirdos who had preached loudly about the "natural future upon us" without permits of any kind. Such pride!

Until the Rakdos had retaliated, tearing down a whole neighborhood in that precinct, where Maretta's frail parents had lived. For days, she had gone undercover, her flaming passion bringing her to the Rakdos thugs who had orchestrated the whole thing, turning their allies against them, letting their rusty fire-blades slash each other to bits -

Until Supreme Judge Isperia had dismissed her, and the arresters had come, threatening to put her away forever. In her shock and fury, her Spark had flared to life, and she had found herself face-down on a crowded street far from Ravnica. On a plane she later learned was Kephalai. Not that it mattered.

Freedom to pursue power, bliss, or anything else she desired came first. Forget the Azorius and their laws! She'd find her destiny across the worlds of the Multiverse. And then, Azrael had offered her a new purpose, a chance to do some _real_ good, and not just in that lousy precinct on faraway Ravnica.

Maretta managed a watery smile. _Good times, old girl._

There were sudden shouts. Maretta perked up as she heard the two vedalken guards down the hall order an intruder to stand down, until the newcomer dispatched them. She heard the visitor's heavy, booted footsteps approach.

The cell door burst inwards and fell flat.

A brawny man with a shock of stylish blond hair and a week-old beard filled the door frame, clad in a long-sleeved white shirt under a parted black vest, along with brown trousers and boots. His fists were clenched at his sides.

Maretta sat up, taking in the sight of the man. "Who... why?" she babbled. "Are you here to -"

"Azrael sent me," the newcomer said, stomping in to the cell. "My name's Nihil. My spies tracked you down to this jail, here on the Cliffs of Ot. Would be difficult to find you otherwise."

"Oh. Thank you." Maretta tossed her hair and got to her feet. "You seem like a nice fella. Come to bust a girl out?"

As an answer, Nihil seized Maretta's throat with a meaty hand and pinned her to the wall, his eyes like steel. No pity or compassion whatsoever. Maretta felt a thrill of cold terror. "Wh-what?" she choked through Nihil's grip.

"You're powerless," Nihil taunted her. "Azrael briefed me on your abilities, and what you were capable of doing. He asked me to deal with you and set things right. So I will."

"W-wait!" Maretta gasped. She grappled with Nihil's hand, but it was like a vise. "P-p-please. Let me go. I can still -"

"But Azrael didn't tell me _how_ to deal with you," Nihil commented. "Back where I come from, only one way how to deal with failures and rejects. Care to see it?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Maretta felt desperate tears roll down her cheeks and burn in her eyes. "Azrael wouldn't do this! He needs me!"

"He and I need the Sphaera Vitae complete," Nihil retorted. "You lost to Veldor and his allies on Innistrad. They now wander the plane free, while Rohkan and I are busy on Tarkir. We will clean up your mess. You disgust me."

"A-Azrael's gonna miss me!" Maretta hissed.

Nihil's grip loosened and he pulled his hand back. "By the time the Sphaera Vitae is complete, I'll get what I want, and none of this will matter."

Maretta massaged her aching throat. "Huh?"

It happened in a blur: Nihil locked his left hand's fingers together like a blade and thrust them into Maretta's throat. He held them in place for a second, watching as Maretta choked on his fingers and her blood alike.

Nihil withdrew his bloodied fingers as Maretta collapsed, seconds from death. "On a personal note," he said, "either you didn't tell Veldor anything, in which case this is a insurance. And if you did, this is your punishment."

Maretta didn't hear whatever else Nihil said after that as her life force fled her body.

*o*o*o*o*

Just as promised, the cathars allowed Morrel and Mizuki to board a fine passenger vessel at a Stensian port, a ship named the _Dawnsail_ , headed right for Havengul in Nephalia. Late the next evening, the _Dawnsail_ pulled up, and Morrel and Mizuki headed down the boarding ramp together and onto the crowded pier.

"Hey there!" Zoira the elf pushed her way through the babbling crowd and wrapped both teenagers in a wide hug. She smiled. "Veldor finally let you both go, huh?"

Mizuki made an exasperated face. "Yes, he did."

"I missed you too, Zoira," Morrel said kindly as more people disembarked the _Dawnsail_.

Zoira let them go and pointed down the well-lit, brick-paved main road. "I've been digging up possible leads for well over a week here in Nephalia. Too bad that Stensia was a dud. That Maretta witch! Next time we see her, it'll be in triumph."

Mizuki grinned. "Hell, yeah. So what have you got for us, besides souvenirs?"

"No souvenirs," Zoira shrugged. "But I _do_ have a possible lead outside of town, up and through the Dralga county. Bit of a hike out there, but I've got a good feeling about this one. And I want backup."

Morrel clenched his fists. "I'm ready if you are, Zoira. All yours."

Mizuki nodded. "Mmmmm. Me too. 'Specially if it gets us off this nasty plane sooner."

"I'll drink to that," Zoira said with a smile. "Okay, let's get going. Once we're past the main gates, though, we're in monster territory. Ghouls and malevolent geists, mainly. You get that a lot in Nephalia."

Morrel shuddered. The spirits of the dead... there was no such thing on Bant, and the very thought disturbed him deeply. Imprints of the dead, clinging to the mortal realm and terrorizing the living? It was so _wrong!_ The dead belonged to the angels above!

These thoughts preoccupied Morrel, along with renewed nostalgia for Akrasa Kingdom, all the way through Havengul. Like in Stensia, the people here bundled up in fur coats and leather boots, cloaks, gloves, anad tri-corn hats. Horse-drawn carriages rolled by, their windows' curtains drawn.

"Some vampires pass through here," Zoira commented idly as one such carriage passed.

Mizuki did a double-take. "Tell me you're kidding me!"

"What?" Zoira asked innocently. "The Stromkirk vampires won't attack us in an open street. They have more discretion. Mainly, they go around in those carriages of theirs, going to business meeting and stuff."

Morrel clenched his teeth as another such carriage ambled by. "Zoira, those bloodsuckers nearly -"

"Come on," Zoira said, her tone suddenly sharp. "You think this has been a vacation for me? You did your duty with Veldor; now with me. We'll be okay, I promise. Just stick close."

Morrel forced himself to relax. "I'm sorry."

But he was still on high mental alert as he walked through Havengul's lantern-lit streets past pubs, shops, and inns. And things didn't get better when they reached the city's wide, front gates.

Because the gates were shut and blocked by a platoon of cathars.

A small crowd of townsfolk were here too, along with their horse-drawn wagons of goods. "We gotta get through!" one man demanded. "I'll lose my shop if I don't make this delivery!"

"My aunt lives down the road," a young man barked. "I've gotta see her!"

What looked like the platoon commander swept his arm angrily through the air. "No one gets in or out! Ghoul activity is getting out of control, and until we get the promised reinforcements from Gavony, we're sealing off all of Havengul!"

"That could take days, it could!" the first man argued. "I can't wait that long!"

The head cathar glowered. "Unless you want to get stitched onto a skaab, you're staying here in town! Ludevic and his minions are operating totally unchecked out there. It's suicide."

"Who is Ludevic?" Morrel muttered to Zoira at the crowd's edge. "And what are skaabs?"

Zoira's expression soured. "Ludevic is apparently a brilliant alchemist who lives in his own castle further down the road, in the heart of Dralga county. And a skaab is a lab-created... _thing..._ that's made up of different people's corpses and body parts put together. An amalgamation of flesh, some say."

Mizuki pouted. "Wait. This Ludevic bastard makes super-zombies in a lab in his castle, which is in Dralga county. And you said we were following that lead in..."

Zoira clearly fought to keep her face straight. "Dralga county."

"I think you one-upped Veldor, Zoira," Morrel commented as Mizuki started to throw a silent tantrum. "Vampires will just drink your blood. But if Ludevic captures us, we'll get turned into some lab-zombie-freak, right?"

Zoira made a cajoling look. "Well... _if_ he captures us! But he won't, right? Right?" She looked to Mizuki for help.

Mizuki forced herself to be still, but she gave Zoira a funny look. "I should have stayed in bed today."

Zoira raised her eyebrows. "Wait, whose bed? Where?"

"It's just a figure of speech," Morrel explained. "You see, if -"

A chilling chorus of moans and howls filled the cool, damp night air.

The crowd screamed and scattered from the gate as the cathars whirled around, swords and maces drawn. "We've got company, boys!"

What looked like a hundred zombies in tattered clothes pressed themselves against the iron gate, bony arms reaching hungrily through the gaps between the gates' bars, jaws snapping.

And worse... a twelve-foot-tall beast waded through the undead crowd, an impossibly large person whose torso was oddly lumpy and covered in oversized sutures and stiches. It had five arms at odd angles and two eyeless heads.

Zoira pointed. "Tall guy over there? _That's_ a skaab."

The concept, sight, moral implication, and most of all, _smell_ of the skaab made Morrel's gorge rise. He swallowed hard to keep things down and fired up his green-white-blue mana aura. "What timing, huh?"

"Ludevic must be unhappy about the lack of hapless travelers leaving Havengul, going through Dralga county," Zoira figured. "Makes sense he'd take the fight to us. So...?"

Mizuki manifested her black mana aura and curse as Zoira flared up her red aura.

The gates creaked loudly against the heavy mass of zombies pressing against them. Then they burst open.

Holy white and blue spells flashed through the air as the cathars met the zombie assault head-on, swords held in a defensive array. Blades and magic hacked right through the zombies' front formation, but more undead kept coming, threatening to overrun the cathars' defenses.

Zoira stepped forward, her lithe frame alive with flame. She raised a hand into the air, and a brilliant phoenix burst into existence. The bird swooped over the zombies' sloppy ranks, issuing a narrow jet of white flame from its beak. The stench of burning flesh choked the air as a dozen zombies vanished in flame.

More zombies joined the initial bunch, alongside the massive skaab, which marched right to the cathars' front line. It swung a massive fist and sent a cathar flying, the man tumbling awkwardly to the ground. Before he could move, five zombies pounced on him, tearing him to bloody bits as he wailed in horror. Nearby, two more cathars succumbed to the ghouls' claws and teeth, no matter how many they slew in return.

Mizuki gathered her mana and thrust out her cursed arm. A cluster of black mana tendrils raced through the air and impaled the nearby zombies, the undead collapsing in pieces. However, the zombies shifted their focus from the cathars and onto Zoira's group, the skaab leading the way.

Zoira waved her arm, and her phoenix arced toward the tall skaab, flapping its wings hard. A gust of blistering-hot air buffeted the skaab, scorching its multi-body flesh. The beast staggered, straining to stay upright as the smaller ghouls swarmed around it.

Morrel threw out his hands and conjured two barriers that funneled the ghouls into a narrower area, totally exposed. Taking her chance, Mizuki extended her cursed arm's finger and charged a ball of intense black mana, then released it. An earth-shuddering cone of mana fired from her claw, annihilating the zombies trapped between Morrel's barriers. With them gone, only a handful of the ghouls, and the skaab, remained.

Mizuki panted and gestured to the giant. "Let's wrap this up!"

The skaab went first.

With a loud groan of fury, the skaab stomped over and pummeled the ground with its many fists, shattering bricks under its knuckles. One fist caught Zoira in the stomach, and the elf shrieked in pain as she was thrown heavily into a building's back wall. Just as fast, the skaab swept Mizuki aside and seized Morrel with its last two hands, lifting him into the air.

 _No!_ Morrel wriggled in the skaab's grip, but its cold flesh held him with frightening strength. He even felt his mana aura draining, the skaab's freezing magic leeching him dry. Its two eyeless heads leered at him, teeth clacking in silent laughter.

The heads rasped in fury as a cathar priest's holy magic impaled its chest with a spear of blue-white mana. For a second, the skaab's grip went slack, and Morrel pumped his remaining mana into his arms.

With a burst of green-white mana, Morrel wrenched the skaab's fingers apart and landed heavily on the brick street, then swiped his hands through the air in a certain pattern. Blue-green crystals appeared on two of the skaab's arms, locking them together into makeshift handcuffs.

The skaab stomped in place, then kicked the priest cathar away. Morrel winced as he heard the man's bones splinter from the sheer impact.

Then, in a blur of motion, Mizuki leaped into the air and raked her cursed arm's claws across the skaab's chest and tore at its sutures. A few of the corpses that comprised its body dropped out, and the skaab staggered, losing its cohesion.

Zoira staggered onto the scene, pointing right at the target. Her phoenix raced to the skaab's gaping wound and released a fireball from its open beak.

Flames swallowed up the skaab, and it staggered even more, its body falling apart corpse by corse, its sutures falling apart from the heat. The whole time, its two heads groaned and moaned, a haunting sound that bit at Morrel's mind. _How can such a thing exist?_

The skaab's smoking pieces scattered across the street, stinking up the whole place. Its ghoul fellows hesitated, unsure what to do without their heavy support. Then, taking their chance, the surviving cathers cut down the zombies one by one, or else bashed them apart with swings of their maces.

At last, the cathars regained the street.

"Damned good work," one cathar, a woman, panted. She gave Morrel's group a thumbs-up. "Who are you, anyway? We could use you."

Morrel glanced at Zoira, who unsummoned her phoenix. "Just wanderers," Zoira said. "We have business in Dralga county. Excuse us."

The woman stared. "Dralga? But -"

"I know what's out there," Zoira said grimly. "We all do. Now, let us _pass_."

The cathar shrugged and pointed at the gate. "You shall pass. You're not under our command or anything. But please... don't get yourselves caught. Ludevic doesn't have the best hospitality, by what I hear." She laughed nervously.

Zoira smiled as she led Morrel and Mizuki through the ruined gate and into the wilderness, down the smooth dirt road and past countless dead trees, graveyards, and abandoned cottages.

Mizuki tapped a code into her capsule and summoned Sora. "Let's do this crap right," she said. "Sora? Do your thing. Where's this castle?"

Sora nodded. "Yes, mistress." He spread his arms side and let loose a pulse of blue mana that swept the countryside.

The homunculus set off. "Follow me, and we shall avoid danger until we reach the castle. I can feel the most direct route with the most cover. We shall not be disturbed."

Morrel felt Innistrad's giant, silvery moon watching over him as he set off with the others. "Good to have you around, little guy."


	22. My Child!

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 22: My Child!**

Just to be sure, Sora let out regular waves of blue mana along the way to Ludevic's castle, and every time, Sora confirmed the presence of "undead walkers" around Dralga county, but none were close enough to attack. Sora's path led the party between hills, along dry riverbeds and under bridges, and through a thin forest of dying trees. Over an hour passed, but Morrel didn't dare complain about the slow goig. _I'll do anything to avoid those horrible skaabs!_

Sora stopped when he brought the party to a tall stone-brick wall that gently curved away from them. "Castle nearby," Sora said. "Too many undead at the front gates. I advise against frontal assault."

"No arguments here," Mizuki said with a shiver. "So, anyone got any ideas?"

"How about this?" Zoira waved her arm and wiggled her fingers. Through a small portal of red mana, her phoenix swooped into the air, cawing as it went. It landed obediently on Zoira's arm, as though she were a falconer.

"Can that bird pick us up?" Morrel asked warily. The phoenix was eagle-sized, but three full-grown people...

"Of course he can," Zoira said indignantly. "Don't you know your lore, Morrel? Phoenixes can carry heavy loads, though only when they choose. They're known to never do what others force them to do."

The phoenix cawed comfortably, blinking its dark eyes.

"Look, I'll show ya," Zoira promised. She looked the phoenix in the eyes. "Over the wall, please."

At the command, the phoenix seized Zoira's shoulders in its claws, spread its wings, and flapped them with a blast of scalding air, forcing Morrel and Mizuki to shield their faces. All the same, Morrel watched in amazement as the phoenix easily lifted Zoira thirty feet into the air and right over the castle wall. He vaguely heard her booted feet hit the ground,.

"Okay, nice and easy, birdie," Mizuki said warily as the phoenix returned and descended on her. She held Sora tightly in her arms. "Not too tight - whoooooaaa!"

Mizuki yelped in alarm as the phoenix dug its claws into her shoulders and launched itself suddenly into the air. Morrel heard Mizuki crying out as the bird carried her over the wall and deposited her on the other side.

Then, Morrel felt his stomach squirm as the phoenix took him into the air, the ground rapidly falling from under him. Hot air swirled around him as the phoenix pumped its flaming wings, and before long, it swooped down and set Morrel onto the ground. He wavered for a second, trying to balance himself.

He suddenly realized that several human-size skaabs had surrounded the group.

"I think the guards caught on to us!" Zoira grated.

"You had to do the flashy entrance!" Mizuki cursed.

"What would _you_ have done?" Zoira snapped.

The skaabs let out loud screeches of furious hunger and charged.

Morrel charged up his mana and channeled green-white power into his left arm, tensing himself for the perfect moment as a gray-skinned, suture-covered skaab charged him. The undead freak swung its arm to take off his head, only to hit empty air as Morrel ducked.

Cold, mismatched flesh crunched and bones splintered as Morrel's uppercut slammed into the skaab's chest, actually lifting it a foot off the air. Quickly, Morrel swung out his foot in a roundhouse kick and hit the same open wound. The skaab let out a strangled yell as the impact split it in half. Smelly flesh spilled from both halves, along with foul, necro-alchemic liquids and blue-black mana.

 _That was once a living person,_ Morrel caught himself thinking. _Until people like Ludevic sewed different parts onto it and turned it into... into THAT._

Nearby, Mizuki flipped and bound like an acrobat, evading the clumsy swings from three more skaab guards. She vaulted over a skaab's head, slashing out her cursed arm's claws. Flesh and shards of bone scatterd as the talons tore into the skaab's head.

Zoira pointed, and her phoenix flew fast and low, letting out a thin jet of flame that vaporized a skaab where it stood. But another skaab was lumbering up behind Zoira, raising its claws to maul her -

"Watch out!" Morrel threw out his hand, mana humming on his palm. A white-blue mana barrier popped up between Zoira and the ambush skaab, and the undead minion bounced stupidly off the smooth, hard surface.

Zoira whirled around and guided her phoenix over. With a fierce, flaming jab of its beak, the bird blasted the skaab into stinking ash.

"Thanks for the heads-up," Zoira said with a smile.

"Just trying to -" Morrel yelled as a skaab's cold, inhumanly strong fist smashed into his back, and he sprawled to the dewy grass, rolling over to behold two skaabs towering over him, their empty eye sockets staring as they eached out to seize him, a moan issuing from their slack jaws-

A cluster of black mana tentacles rushed out and impaled the skaabs, tearing them to shreds. Mizuki stalked over to the scene, her eyes burning. "Don't you touch him, freaks!" she snarled.

"Thanks for the assist," Morrel panted. _I guess it was my turn, huh?_

Mizuki humphed and turned around, pointing her cursed index finger at the last two skaabs, which lumbered hungrily toward her. A ball of black mana charged on her fingertip and issued a wide cone of destructive mana that obliterated not just the skaabs, but a triangular swath of the castle's grounds, as well.

Zoira recalled her phoenix, and it sat obediently on her shoulder. The elf gave Mizuki a funny look. "Whoa. Take it easy, Mizuki. The fight's just starting."

"R-right." Mizuki wiped her brow and lowered her cursed arm. "I just... these things... I can't believe this place. We've gotta get outta here the _seond_ we find that Sphaera Vitae shard."

"You're telling me?" Zoira offered Morrel a hand and helped him up. "Just don't exhaust yourself. There's bound to be more in that castle, and they'll be on alert after the ruckus from this scuffle."

Mizuki called over Sora, who looked up to her. "So, Sora... time for the castle. Show us a clear route in there. Find us a strong source of focused mana."

Morrel scratched his head. "Sora can sense Sphaera Vitae shards?"

"Well..." Mizuki made an apologetic face. "I'm hoping! We didn't get much chance to try it at Zwifalt Estate, but maybe..."

"I will see. Follow me," Sora said simply, and he made his way to the towering castle, and brought the group to a window on the first floor. It was totally dark inside, so Morrel shattered the glass with a punch and the group slipped inside.

Sora let out more mana waves as he led the squad deeper in the castle. Along the way, Morrel felt the air grow even colder, passing empty torch sconces on the wall, and past many shut wooden doors and stairways leading down into darkness. How many rooms in here were dedicated to holding prisoners, carving them up, and reassembling them?

 _Stop,_ Morrel told himself sternly as Sora led the group down another hall, this one torch-lit. _You can't save everyone on Innistrad or any plane. Stopping Azrael will do more than enough good! And it'll give Kaida's memory rest._

By now, Morrel could hear distant shuffling footsteps and random moans and grunts from patrolling skaabs, and Sora confirmed that well over a hundred of them patrolled the halls, some along, some in small groups. Morrel could even smell nearby skaabs and hear them from around corners, but Sora always led the group down another route at the last second to evade them.

"I sense another one," Sora said suddenly, leading the group past empty holding cells that had open doors. "Another skaab."

"Well, there _are_ a lot in this castle," Morrel admitted. "What's a few more?"

"No. A big one," Sora said, and for once, he sounded afraid. "So much focused mana and life-energy. And it's growing stronger by the second. Its mana... it's being fed mana of all colors, so finely-wrought. I have not sensed its like before."

Mizuki turned excitedly to Morrel and Zoira. "Hey. D'you think it could be -?"

Zoira patted Sora's head. "Hurry. Let's find it!"

Through more halls Sora led the party, until it brought them before a wide set of double doors, made of thick, scratched wood and reinforced with iron bars. A complex lock, reinforced with blue-black mana, sat in the middle.

Mizuki glanced at Zoira, who sighed and nodded.

With a satisfied shout, Mizuki charged up another ball of mana and blasted the doors wide open with a fierce mana cone. Leftover black mana scattered in the cavernous next room.

Morrel felt his breath catch in his throat.

The room was probably as tall as the castle itself, with several sets of scaffolding along the walls to hold extra equipment. Hundreds of torches lit the room, but there was also bright blue mana running through the tubes and glass containers in countless, fiendish-looking machines. Half-finished skaabs lay in open coffins along the walls, and body parts were stuck on spikes on the walls for safekeeping. Glass and metal pipes ran all over the place, fueling mana and noxious sludge to developing skaabs and vats of bubbling liquids.

And on a circular platform in the room's middle sat a gray egg as tall as Morrel, with a complex machine sitting next to it. Lances of lightning-like mana flowed from the humming machine and onto the egg, but there was something about the mana...

"There!" Morrel pointed up at a glass sphere atop the egg's machine, where several thick wires were attached to a quarter of a melon-sized opal, drawing mana from it at a prodigious rate. The opal shard glittered with a thousand pinpricks of color from the inside.

"The Sphaera shard!" Zoira breathed. On her shoulde, her phoenix cawed excitedly.

"HEY, YOU!" a man's voice roared.

From around a vat of liquid stalked an older man with gray hair and a black coat over his blue suit. His pointed face scowled, his eyes hard under his bushy gray eyebrows. "Who are you? The ones who made that racket on my grounds? How did you even get in here?!"

"Oh. You're Ludevic, right?" Mizuki asked, oddly calm.

The man put a hand over his heart. "Yes. This is _my_ castle, little girl. Hmmmmmm, that's quite the curse on your arm there. I'm looking forward to digging deeper and making that power mine. I'll make sure to reserve a good experiment table for you."

Morrel glanced at the half-complete skaabs in the open coffins and felt a thrill of fury. _I'll die before Mizuki ends up like that!_

Mizuki must have had the same thought, because she suddenly flung a trio of mana tentacles with a hysterical shout.

Ludevic sprang out of the way, and the tentacles instead smashed into a chemistry set on a wooden table. Bubbling, smoking liquids of all colors seeped across the floor.

"I see we'll do this the hard way!" Ludevic sprinted to the egg's platform, surprisingly quick and nimble, given his age. He reached for a lever on a control panel.

Zoira extended her arm, and her phoenix raced over to Ludevic, issuing a jet of flame.

Too late. Ludevic wrenched the lever down and leaped out of the way, letting the phoenix's flames draw a long, glowing trench into the stone floor all the way to the wall.

The egg quivered as a new jolt of mana struck it, as though prodding it. Cracks spider-webbed across the egg's smooth surface, and it rocked even harder in its restraints.

"Quick! We've got to destroy that egg before -" Morrel started.

"Already on it." Zoira pointed, and her phoenix swooped down on the egg and slammed its beak against the surface to break open a small hole. The bird flapped its wings to stay in place, and spat a glob of flame right into the opening.

Whatever was inside the egg gave off a muffled shriek but didn't stop rocking its egg casing. Patches of the egg's shell flaked off, revealing blue-gray scales. The cracks converged at one point-

The egg's shell totally burst off, and the tucked-up creature stood, swelling like a hot-air balloon as it went. Taller and taller it grew, towering over thirty feet tall, its long, spiny head looking every which way, taking in its surroundings.

"A... lizard?" Morrel breathed.

The beast was indeed as scaly lizard, not unlike a plump, upright chameleon. Its short, thick tail slapped down, smashing more equipment and knocking over a few skaab coffins. Its sturdy legs took a few tentative steps forward, its white claws raking the stone floor and throwing up sparks. The whole room quaked with each footstep, the lizard huffing as its eyes darted around the room. Its jaws opened slightly, showing thousands of sharp teeth as it snaked out its tongue to test the air.

It roared, shuddering the air.

"Yes! Yes!" Ludevic pumped both fists into the air, almost dancing in place. "My child! My greatest... of all things I've created..."

Ludevic relaxed, then looked over at the incredulous Morrel, Mizuki, and Zoira. "You must be hungry. Eat them up, my child, and I'll poke over their remains later. Yes, definitely."

The lizard grunted in hunger, staring down at the intruders, still receiving tendrils of nourishing mana from the Sphaera Vitae's machine. It took a shuddering step toward them. Then another.

"GET IT!" Mizuki howled.

Zoira swung her arm through the air to signal her phoenix. It arced through the air, peppering the lizard with jets of flame all over, but the fire barely charred its scales, only making the creature angrier. The phoenix was forced to weave and swoop through the air as the lizard swiped at it with its huge claws.

Mizuki charged up another ball of mana on her fingertip, but before she could fire, the lizard lunged over and slammed down a palm to crush her.

Morrel's blue-green man had already dilated time around him and, with his muscles burning from the strain, ran over, seized Mizuki, and dragged her out of harm's way. In surreal slow motion, Morrel saw the lizard's paw collide with the empty floor, chunks of stone flying up into the air as though underwater.

Time snapped back to normal, and Morrel and Mizuki collapsed in an awkward heap on the floor, buffeted by the kinetic energy from the lizard's palm attack. Mizuki squirmed to her feet, her dark hair askew, her chest heaving. "What are we gonna do?" she panted.

"Go for the Sphaera shard," Morrel said. "It's the only thing I can think of. That lizard's tough, but it's not fast enough to catch us. If we can keep it busy, you could have the phoenix carry you over to the -"

With another roar, the lizard slammed its thick tail onto the floor and swiped it across the whole room, wrecking equipment as it went. Morrel hastily threw up a white-blue mana barrier as the tail crashed into him and Mizuki, and they used the barrier as a cushion as they were thrown against the wall. Once again, they crumpled to the floor, stunned.

Meanwhile, Zoira kept commanding her phoenix, but its hot air and fire jets barely even slowed the beast down. It swiped at the phoenix and Zoira alike with its clawed paws, tearing out chunks of the wall as it went. Loose stone bricks rained on the floor.

Zoira rolled out of the way and tried to guide her phoenix again, but this time, she was too slow. The lizard stomped a foot, and the shock wave disoriented the elf long enough for its left paw to scoop her up and bring her to its mouth.

"ZOIRA!" Morrel threw out a weary hand to help her, but he could only watch as the lizard's tongue wrapped itself around Zoira, dragged her into its toothy mouth, and swallowed.


	23. Breakthrough

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 23: Breakthrough**

Morrel felt like one of those Voldaren vampires had hit him with their stunning spells. He could only stare at the towering lizard, which ran its tongue over its teeth as though savoring the taste of elf. It grunted in satisfaction.

Ludevic burst out laughing, jabbing a finger at Morrel and Mizuki. "So, the lady first, I see. Finally, my child gets its first meal. I do believe it's time for dessert?" He fixed Morel and Mizuki a hungry, crazed glare that Morrel didn't think could come from human eyes.

 _That Sphaera shard... how are we supposed to reach it?_ Morrel had his hands in helpless fists, his body aching, his mana wearing out by the second. He doubt that he'd pull off a time dilation long enough to try and grab the shard and escape that lizard, _and_ somehow escape this castle guarded by skaabs.

"Can you keep that thing busy?" Mizuki muttered urgently to Morrel as the lizard ambled toward them for the promised dessert. "I'm fast enough to try and get that Sphaera shard. And that phoenix could help."

Morrel braced himself as the lizard towered over them, reaching out with a claw. "Better hurry!"

At the last second, Morrel dove out of harm's way and was jostled across the floor as the lizard's paw smashed down. The sheer energy shuddered the floor yet again, throwing up chunks of broken stone brick. He scrambled to his feet and whirled around just as the lizard bore down on him, reaching with its other paw.

This time, Morrel leaped into the air, praying to the angels that his reckless timing would work. Just as the paw came down, Morrel's leap carried him between its ivory-colored claws and onto the back of its scaly paw. He conjured an icicle of crystal, jabbing it right into the lizard's paw.

The lizard screeched loudly in irritation as Morrel ground the crystal icicle between two of its dark blue scales. He hung onto the icicle as the lizard swung its paw through the air to shake him off, and he felt the air ruffle his hair. He felt a thrill of vertigo as the whole chamber whirled around him, the floor far below. He could vaguely hear Ludevic shouting something, but the words were lost in the whoosh of air, adrenaline, and the lizard's annoyed growls.

 _Come on, Mizuki!_ Morrel bared his teeth, and he felt his grip starting to slip as the lizard kept swishing him around. Meanwhile, he saw an orange-red blur as the phoenix harassed the lizard, but its flames still couldn't break through its scaly defenses.

"No!" Morrel blurted as his hands slipped free. He squirmed through the air for just a second before the lizard's other paw caught him, its palm bluntly smashing into him. He felt himself get flung through the air, and only a last-minute mana barrier kept him from becoming a blood smear on the wall.

Morrel's vision went fuzzy and his ears rang as he crashed against the wall, barrier and all. His muscles burned as he fought for control, desperately shifting the barrier under him like a cushion, or a sled. He skated off a scaffolding array and tumbled across the floor in a daze. Far above, the phoenix glided in circles around the lizard, jabbing at it to no effect.

The lizard grunted and snapped at the phoenix, its countless fangs narrowly missing it as the phoenix drifted out of harm's way. All the while, Mizuki was nowhere in sight.

Strong hands seized Morrel's upper arms and he yelped as someone hoisted him up, arms locking around him. "Don't struggle, lad," a familar voice said, dripping like oil into Morrel's ears. "There's no escape now."

 _Ludevic!_ Morrel thrashed against his captor, but the old man's astonishing strength kept him in place. Had Ludevic augmented his body with some foul alchemic formula?

"Oh, look," Ludevic commented, pointing with a gloved hand. "That lassie is next! Watch. She'll wash down that elf nicely."

"No... NO!" Morrel hissed his breath between his teeth, thrashing against Ludevic's arms as he watched the lizard seize Mizuki near the Sphaera Vitae's machine. He felt a thrill of horror as the lizard raised Mizuki to its open jaws, its tongue uncoiling while Mizuki screamed hysterically, her arms pinned to her sides in the lizard's grip.

"And here we go!" Ludevic gloated, but he froze when the lizard faltered. Its huge, scaly belly glowed a muted orange and swelled outwards, and the lizard groaned in pain and confusion.

The lizard's belly exploded outwards in a rush of flame.

Not just any flame; a small, slender dragon composed entirely of fire, a familiar elf riding on its back just behind its wings, her arms wrapped around its neck.

"That... wench!" Ludevic cursed. "How dare she!"

 _A dragon summon?!_ Morrel could hardly believe it. Did Zoira charge up the last of her red mana in the lizard's belly to conjure this emergency summon? No doubt it was sapping her of strength quickly, being so powerful. The three of them didn't have much time...

With a rush of indignant fury, Morrel rapped his heel on Ludevic's shin, then slammed his head back and bashed the man's nose. He felt Ludevic's grip slip for just a split second, and he quickly fired up his green-white mana into his left arm. He swung his arm up and out, and Ludevic's arms were easily knocked aside.

Morrel whirled around and delivered a terrific punch to Ludevic's gut, sending the man crashing into a table loaded with equipment that shattered all over the place. Noxious liquids seeped onto the floor.

Morrel hurried toward the lizard, watching as the beast released Mizuki in its sudden pain and shock. He threw out his hand and cushioned Mizuki with another barrier, his arm shaking with exhausion. But he didn't dare release his mana until Mizuki was safely on the ground, her whole body trembling.

"Okay. _Now_ I've got cover," Mizuki panted. She got to her feet and sprinted after the Sphaera Vitae shard's machine emplacement, and far overhead, Zoira dealt the first blow. Her dragon and phoenix did laps around the beast, their combined fire scorching its scales and finally starting to melt them.

Morrel smelled burnt flesh as the lizard screeched in fury, and to its credit, it stayed standing even with a jagged hole in its belly. It swiped out a paw and knocked the dragon aside, but the flame dragon corkscrewed through the air to restabilize and swooped back over. A flap of its wings buffeted the lizard with hot air, stunning it for just a second.

This bought the phoenix time to swoop into the lizard's burn wound and set off a wave of flame. The lizard roared and stumbled back, bracing itself against the wall, its tail thrashing. The tail smashed aside bricks in the wall, breaking open a small hole.

"Zoira!" Morrel shouted. "Keep it there! Break the wall!"

High above, Zoira waved the affirmative and sent in her dragon mount. The dragon pelted the lizard with fireballs, and the towering lizard kept thrashing, widening the holes in the wall, until the whole wall started to lean and groan, more bricks falling out of place.

 _Mizuki..._ Morrel swept his eyes across the room and found her, tearing her cursed hand's claws on the machine, trying to break the shard free. But it was secured tight.

Panting for breath, Morrel jogged over, welling up the last of his mana. He climbed onto the machine's top with Mizuki, charging blue-white-green mana onto his open right hand. "Stand back," he huffed.

Mizuki drew back, and Morrel enveloped the shard's braces with his crystallization spell. Then, Mizuki raised her clawed hand high and brought it down.

This time, the crystals shattered and split the machinery apart. The Sphaera Vitae shard mixed with the crystal spell's pieces, and Mizuki hastily scooped it up.

"Hell, yeah!" Mizuki cradled it under her cursed arm.

Morrel took Mizuki's other hand and started off. "Follow me. Zoira is preparing our exit."

"No! You impedtuous children!" Ludevic roared, getting to his feet from across the room. He waved his fists. "Stop right there!"

Mizuki threw back a few words that Morrel did his best to ignore.

The lizard's tail kept slapping the wall, and the beast drew back in alarm as the whole wall collapsed, causing the room to lean over without that wall's support. Mercifully, open air washed into the tower-shaped room, Innistrad's silver moon high in the sky, beckoning.

Zoira wasted no time.

In a streak of flame, Zoira guided her dragon downwards, the beast hovering just off the ground. "Get on!" Zoira cried. With a snap of her fingers, she unsummoned the phoenix to conserve mana. Just in time, too; Morrel could see how faint Zoira's mana aura had become, her skin slick with sweat.

Morrel and Mizuki gratefully climbed onto the dragon's back behind Zoira, everyone locking arms to secure themselves. Then, at Zoira's command, the dragon shot through the air, past the lizard's reach, and into open sky. Cold night air rushed past the dragon's riders, and the castle's grounds sprawled beneath them.

"Got that... Sphaera shard?" Zoira panted.

"Yeah!" Mizuki said breathlessly. "Land us somewhere already."

The dragon swooped over Dralga county until it found a secluded patch of forest, landed, and vanished when Zoira unsummoned it. Morrel eagerly took Mizuki's hand as both women prepared their planeswalking gates.

At last, Innistrad vanished from Morrel's vision.

*o*o*o*o*

The air smelled metallic and salty as Morrel returned to Cae'Xan University's halls, he, Zoira, and Mizuki crumpling awkwardly onto the brass-colored floor. A few Etherium-enhanced vedalken and human students yelped in surprise and backed away, clutching scrolls and half-finished devices.

"What are y'all lookin' at?" Mizuki groaned as a vedalken squinted curiously at her. "We're with Veldor. Relax."

The students shrugged and filed away, and Morrel and the others sat up. "We did it," Morrel panted. He grinned in spite of his throbbing aches and depleted mana. "We did it!"

"Celebration hug!" Mizuki wrapped her arms tightly around Morrel in her sitting position, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. "That was _way_ too close."

"Y-yeah," Morrel panted. He savored the warm feel of Mizuki's body, his own arms wrapped around her. "That lizard... if it ate you, I'd be stuck on Innistrad for good."

"Not to mention how I'd be _eaten_ ," Mizuki added indignantly.

"And I really _was_ ," Zoira put in, sounding hurt. She pouted.

Morrel winced. "Sorry. That's true. But you handled it well. No wonder Veldor admires you so much."

Zoira blushed. "R-right."

"Hey, we can finally rub something in Veldor's face," Mizuki realized, breaking from Morrel and tossing her messy hair. "We got a Sphaera shard, and without his help!"

She held it up in her hands. "A win for me!"

Booted footsteps sounded from behind the seated party. "Yes. But complications have arisen," a familiar voice said.

Morrel got to his feet with the others as Veldor stood before them, fists tight by his sides. "What do you mean?" Morrel asked warily.

Veldor narrowed his eyes. "Maretta is dead. Assassinated in her cell by unknown agent. Guards killed, door broken in."

"What..." Zoira clapped a hand to her heart. "Are there any leads?"

"Few," Veldor admitted. "Investigators determined that instigator thrust fingers through guards' and Maretta's necks. No evidence of mana or weapons or tools used. Boot prints in sand outside jail do not match Esper shoe designs. Probably a planeswalker."

Morrel felt a chill. "Azrael, maybe? Punishing Maretta's failure?"

"Possible," Veldor said slowly. "But not consistent with Azrael's methods so far. He may have recruited help. Replacement for Maretta. Probably very powerful."

"We gotta do something," Mizuki panted. "Find this freak and -"

Veldor snatched the Sphaera Vitae shard from Mizuki's hands. "No. You three need rest at once. Stay until morning. Nutrient packets will be provided. Do not carry out any more operations until then. Oh, and how effective was Sora?"

Mizuki patted her gold capsule strapped around her body. "Pretty darn good. He got us through Ludevic's castle and around the guards."

"I see. My compliments to Olivia," Veldor said. "Good work with Sphaera Vitae shard. Will put it into university lab. Secure area."

"So, what will _you_ do?" Morrel asked. He indeed longed for a good nap.

"Time is short, even with this shard in our hands," Veldor said. "Azrael may find it before long unless we neutralize him and his followers. So, will travel to Dominaria and investigate leads."

"Dominaria?" Morrel repeated.

"Central plane of Multiverse," Veldor said. "Still in ruins after foreign invasion. Ecology and society alike in shambles. Hazardous and desolate conditions. Must comb through it all."

"I'm not sorry to stay here, then," Mizuki commented.

"Indeed," Veldor said with a shrug. "In morning, Zoira will take you to new plane to intercept Azrael's minions and find another shard."

Morrel tilted his head. "What plane?"

"Known as Tarkir."

Zoira clapped her hands on Morrel and Mizuki's shoulders. "I know that plane pretty well. Believe me; it's time to rest."

 _It can't be worse than Innistrad,_ Morrel thought as he trudged off. _Right?_


	24. Raid

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 24: Raid**

Veldor was already gone by the time Morrel met up with Mizuki and Zoira in Cae'Xan University's main hallway, various human and vedalken students going this way and that to classes or lab sessions. Something like that, Morrel figured.

"I've got a good hunch on where to start our search," Zoira said brightly, a hand jauntily on her curvy hip. "I've got a good feeling about this, guys. We're finally ahead of the game."

Morrel pursed his lips. "What about that new planeswalker, though? The one who killed Maretta?"

"Veldor's going to look into that," Zoira said, unperturbed. "Trust me, I started this whole quest with Kaida's memory capsule, but Veldor's the brains of all this."

"Yeah, no kidding," Mizuki muttered snidely.

Zoira's long elf ears twiched. She went pink. "Hey, don't make fun of him."

Mizuki grinned. "Sorry, lover girl."

"I'm _sorry_?" Zoira went redder.

"Anyway, we're on our way to Tarkir, right?" Morrel said hastily. "I'm ready if you both are."

Zoira nodded. "Right. Mizuki, follow me closely in the AEther. This is _not_ a plane where you want to get lost or separated!"

A sudden chill ran down Morrel's spine as he felt Mizuki take his hand with her left, her black planeswalking aura firing up at the same time as Zoira's red one -

Freezing wind whipped at Morrel's face as he fell to his hands and knees in knee-deep snow.

"What the -?" he blurted.

Mizuki landed next to him and Zoira a few paces beyond her, bracing themselves against the cold.

And the chaos of battle.

"Damn it!" Morrel rolled to the side as a horse-mounted warrior thundered past, the beast's hooves throwing up snow viciously, snorting as it went. All around this place, warriors in red and silver armor clashed with brawny defenders in heavy animal hide parkas and cloaks, horses squealing, bears roaring, men shouting.

 _This place... this is Tarkir?_

Morrel sprang to his feet and backed up, hardly daring to believe the sight. Large hide tents and huts were everywhere, held up by what looked like ribs and arm bones of large beasts, the village situated on the side of a craggy mountain in an endless mountain range. Snow swirled in the dry air, the bloody evening sun sinking on the far horizon.

Once again, a horse-mounted warrior charged at Morrel, this one clearly aiming to kill. The man raised his scimitar and let out a yell as he swung.

Morrel ducked the blow and channeled green-white mana into his right fist. He delivered a quick jab that caught the man in the ribs just as his horse passed by, and he was thrown right onto the ground in a confused heap. The horse whinnied and skidded to a stop.

"You brat!" the warrior snarled over the battle's din. He hopped to his feet, his lean, wind-beaten face screwed up in fury. His long, black moustache, narrow eyes, and high cheekbones were unlike anything Morrel had seen on Bant or Lorwyn, or even Innistrad. And such bloodthirsty fury!

The man's chest-plate had cracked and caved in from Morrel's punch, but the man hardly seemed fazed from the blow. His silver helmet (complete with a red tassal) and the two large, fang-like spikes on his upper back gave him a vicious appearance as he charged, sword raised again for the kill.

The man's renewed speed got him right into striking range, faster than Morrel expected. Red and white mana glowed on his leather boots, and black mana hummed along his sword's edge. The blade came down-

Morrel leaped out of harm's way, but he winced as he felt the sword graze his left shoulder, and black mana chewed at the wound. He clapped a hand to his wound, shocked.

The warrior took his chance. He delivered a mighty kick that sent Morrel sprawling onto his back, sinking halfway into the dense mountain snow as the battle raged around him. Meanwhile, the raider towered over him, slashing down his scimitar to take Morrel's head.

 _No!_ Morrel kicked the man's shin and rolled away just in time. The blade awkwardly slashed across the ground, its black mana evaporating snow in a cloud of steam.

Just as the warrior turned to face Morrel, the Bant battlemage fired up his blue-green mana, infusing it into his muscles. Time slowed to a crawl for just two precious seconds, the raider's movements suddenly as though deep underwater.

With grim determination, Morrel slipped around the raider's counter-strike and added a bit of white mana to his left fist. A terrific blow to the face shattered the man's skull, his face pulping under Morrel's knuckles in gruesome slow motion.

Time snapped back to normal, and the raider crumpled in a mess in the snow, his sword's enchantment fizzling out.

"Hey, you!" a gruff voice demanded.

Morrel whirled around, and one of the parka-wearing warriors bore down on him, a spiked wooden club in his mitten-encased hands. "Who are you?" the warrior barked. "Where'd you come from?"

If that raider looked tough, this man even more so. He had a similar face to the raider, but with bushier eyebrows, long hair poking out from under his parka's hood, and a vertical scar over his mouth. He had red and blue tribal markings on his weather-beaten cheeks.

"I-I..." Morrel faltered. Who was who around here? He hastily pointed at Zoira. "I came with her. Woman with the long ears and the two hair braids."

The warrior looked over at Zoira just as she and Mizuki hurried over through the battle's chaos. "Morrel!" Zoira called out. "You okay?"

"Took a glancing hit to the shoulder," he admitted, showing her.

"Oh. Right. Mardu blades are nasty," Zoira said bracingly. Her battle aura was flaming around her. She turned to the warrior in the parka and put a hand over her sternum, lifting her chin. "I am a friend of the Temur. The strength of the bear and spirit of the wild live in me."

The warrior huffed. "I think I've heard of some outsider woman like you..."

To demonstrate, Zoira summoned her phoenix, and the bird sat on her outstretched arm.

"You! The phoenix lady!" the warrior realized. Then he grinned ferociously. "Yeah, I've heard of you. My aunt told me the stories."

Morrel turned to Zoira. "You're famous around here?"

"One of my first planeswalks was here, in the Temur clan's territory," Zoira explained to Morrel and Mizuki. "To study their natural magic. I helped them fight off a Sultai raid, so they came to like me. And my summoning impressed them a bit."

Mizuki looked confused. "What are Sultai?"

"One of the five clans here," Zoira said. "Looks like a Mardu raid. Typical. Why don't we help out a bit?"

Mizuki grinned. "Now _that_ I understand!" She strengthened her black mana aura and leaped into the fray, her cursed hand's claws tearing into a Mardu raider. Her black mana dissolved his armor like acid.

Zoira, meanwhile, sent out her phoenix, and the flaming bird swooped fast and low over the battlefield. It emitted a jet of blue-white flame that vaporized a small squad of Mardu raiders, petite, red-skinned beasts with crude swords.

Morrel stared. "What were those? They looked like -"

"Goblins," Zoira explained. "Got 'em on Bant?"

"No, but a bunch from Jund have invaded my home kingdom. Nothing good seems to come from Jund."

No more time to talk. Morrel saw Mardu and Temur warriors butchering each other all across the camp, and the Mardu were showing no mercy. Morrel hurried over to Mizuki's side and threw up a white mana barrier just as two Mardu cavalrymen came charging in. Their steeds bounced off the wide shield, the men nearly falling off. This gave a few nearby Temur fighters their chance to take them out.

Meanwhile, one of several bears roared and swiped its paw, tearing apart an armored Mardu goblin. _The Temur seem to have a relationship with these bears,_ Morrel thought, seeing the beasts in action. _Amazing!_

However, a trio of bawny, gray-skinned humanoids in black-red armor burst through the Temur's ranks and eviscerated one of the bears with their swords, which glowed with white-red mana. They had huge lower canines and heavy brow ridges, and mean yellow eyes.

"What the -?" Morrel blurted.

"Never seen a orc before?" Mizuki panted, watching them advance.

"No."

"Yeah, well, back me up, okay?"

Just as the three Mardu orcs came bearing down on Mizuki's position, Morrel crouched and planted his mana-infused hands into the snowy, rocky ground. Blue-green-white mana surged across the ground and up the three orcs' legs, encasing them in solid crystals.

Morrel panted from the strain, his muscles aching. The orc' strength was amazing, his crystals already cracking. "Hurry!"

Mizuki thrust out her cursed hand and conjured a cluster of black mana tendrils that shot out at the orcs. The tendrils stabbed two of them to death, but the third, roaring in fury, wrenched himself free of the crystals and slashed apart Mizuki's tendrils, his chest covered in bloody wounds. He pointed his sword and issued a jet of black-red mana.

"No!" Morrel threw up another mana barrier, but the orc's savage spell shattered it and sent both Morrel and Mizuki sprawling on their backs.

The orc advanced on them, raising his sword for the kill -

The ground shuddered as a saddled yak thundered over, a Temur woman mounted on its back. She yelled and thrust a javelin that gored the Mardu orc right through the chest. Red-green-blue mana ran along the javelin's length and filled the orc's flesh, until the orc exploded in a gory shower.

"You kids okay?" The yak-mounted woman brought her mount over to Morrel and Mizuki, a scornful look on her face. "Get up!"

But as she spoke, a Mardu warrior slipped behind her, scimitar poised to take her head off. He swung -

Mizuki pointed her left hand's finger and issued a narrow jet of black mana that took off the Mardu ambusher's head.

"Are _you_ okay?" Mizuki retorted as she and Morrel wearily got to their feet.

"Sure am," the warrior said without missing a beat.

Zoira's phoenix made fiery laps around the village, buffeting the Mardu with flaps of its wings, driving them back. The Temur, plus Morrel and Mizuki, broke the Mardu assault and drove them out of the village's perimeter. Clearly sensing their loss of momentum, the Mardu broke ranks and fled, disappearing far down the mountain road and around a bend.

"Well, that was rough," Morrel commented, huffing and clapping a hand to his wounded shoulder. "And I thought Innistrad was bad..."

"No way. Innistrad is still the worst," Mizuki said indigantly. "I'll never let anyone make a fool of me like Cintrella Voldaren did."

Morrel shivered, not just at the cold, but the memory of those insidious vampires, with their pitiless eyes and blood-sucking fangs...

Zoira unsummoned her phoenix and found Morrel and Mizuki. "Let's get you patched up," she said, "and we'll figure out a plan."

*o*o*o*o*

A few hours later, after a visit to the healer's hut and a dinner of salted jerky, mountain carrots, and roots, Zoira escorted Morrel to a spare tent. "The village chief is okay with us helping, especially after that show of strength," she said. "Here, rest until morning."

"You know, I've only been awake a few hours," Morrel pointed out.

"I know. I call it 'planeswalking lag'," Zoira said with a smile. "Different times on different planes... it disorients you. But just rest, okay? Look, you've got a blanket and everything."

Indeed he did. Morrel climbed into his animal-hide tent and climbed under the thick, woven blanket, laying over a stuffed hide mattress. It was still cold, though; the temperature had dropped even further after the sun had set. Frigid, snowy winds buffeted the tent's fabric, though at least the whole thing didn't blow down. Morrel shivered and tried different positions in the simple bed, but his internal mana only sluggishly recharged in the brutal conditions.

It wasn't long before the tent flap opened up and someone came in.

"Zoira? What's going on?" Morrel blurted.

"No, it's me," came Mizuki's voice.

In the darkness, Morrel heard Mizuki settle down next to him and set up her own woven blanket. "Is something wrong?" Morrel asked.

"Only the damned cold," Mizuki groused, fumbling around to get into a good position. "This place..."

Morrel edged away from her, suddenly awkward. "Hey, um... what's wrong with your tent?" he asked, flustered.

"Maybe these Temur guys are used to the cold and all, but not me," Mizuki said. "Have you seen me? I'm small! I don't do cold like these people. They're more like bears than anything. No wonder they hang out with actual bears."

Morrel laughed. "They're something, all right."

Then, Morrel felt himself flush as Mizuki settled right next to him, wrapping her arms around him under their combined blankets. He felt her snuggle closer, and felt her hair on his cheek.

"Seriously, hold still," Mizuki mumbled into his shoulder. "You're warm."

"Me? Why not Zoira? She's got her red mana..."

Mizuki giggled. "I ain't gonna do this with _her,_ Morrel. Can't I be with you instead? Come on..."

Morrel hesitated, then relaxed. "Sorry. It's just that I've never had a girl in a bed with me before."

"Nice, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is." Morrel sighed through his nose, eyes closed.

"I can stay awhile, can't I? Please say yes..."

"You're asking permission? _You_?"

"What's that mean?"

"You weren't like this when I met you, that wild scoundel girl..."

"Turns out being nice kinda works. Maybe Bant's good for something after all!"

Morrel laughed. "Just a few things." He calmed down, savoring the feel of Mizuki next to him. She was in fact fairly warm, herself. "Yeah, stay the night. We've got a real adventure waiting for us in the morning, I bet."

"Zoira takes us to the worst places, doesn't she?"

"I suppose. Good night."

Those horrible places weren't so bad with a good companion, though. Definitely not.


	25. March of the Nomads

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 25: March of the Nomads**

In the sunny but chilly morning, the Temur clansmen didn't just move out to begin their counter-raid against the Mardu intruders; they folded up all their tents and huts and brought them along, too.

"I've seen bands of nomads back home on Bant," Morrel commented to Mizuki as they hiked with the Temur down the snowy mountain road, shivering in his borrowed bear-skin coat. "But they weren't nealy as... nearly as -"

"Badass?"

Morrel laughed. "Impressed?"

Mizuki smiled back. "I like anyone who can fend for him or herself. These Temur know what they're doin'. I mean, look at where they live! _I'd_ never go to a place like this."

She had a point, Morrel thought. Up here, in the clear morning light, he saw just how _wounded_ the plane of Tarkir actually was. Massive bones, mainly skulls, ribs, and arms, poked out of the snow and lay in the pine forests, along with tattered remains from earlier battles. Huge chunks of the rugged terrain had been blasted away or torn up as though by a god's hand. And the wind carried a constant scent of dried blood and sweat.

How long had these five clans been feuding?

Morrel nearly slipped on a patch of ice hidden under the snow, and he waved his arms to balance. A nearby Temur man chuckled. "Watch it, boy," he commented. "D'you realize how long a fall it is?"

"Yes, thank you." Morrel glared back at the man, who chuckled again and looked away.

It was definitely going to be a long hike, Morrel thought. At least he didn't have to do any heavy lifting; the bears and ice elementals took care of that. Several brown-furred grizzlies lumbered along, huge piles of supplies roped onto their backs. Even more fascinating were the elementals: ice-skinned beasts with round bodies and stumpy, clawed legs and long arms. They had no faces, but instead, plants that grew from the tops of their heads, the little trees and flowers sustained from inner red-green mana encased in their frozen bodies. The brutes easily carried folded-up huts and large weapons on their backs.

"So, Zoira," Morrel asked the elf quietly. "Do you have any leads on a possible Sphaera shard, or Azrael's team's movements?"

"I'm playing it by ear," Zoira explained. "Let's get down to the mountain base before we -"

"You totally don't have a plan, do you?" Mizuki teased Zoira.

The elf made an indignant noise. "Just so you know, the Temur are deeply connected to the wilderness, and can even sense the past and future. We'll make good use of their skills."

Morrel's eyes widened. "The past and future... they're sighted seers?"

"What?"

"That's, well... what they're called on Bant. Blindfolded monks who see into the future with the angels' guidance -"

"Lame," Mizuki cut in.

Morrel made the same indignant noise as Zoira.

"See them?" Zoira asked, pointing to a small group of people in long, heavy brown robes. They wore wide, stiff hoods over their heads, their faces covered with animal claws dangling from the hoods' edges.

"Those're the seers?" Mizuki asked.

"Whisperers, in fact," Zoira said. "They tap into the whispers of the frozen past, and use red mana to melt it into the currents of the present and future. It works even better when they're in dragon skulls."

Morrel glanced down at the blasted terrain again. "Dragons... those are all dragon bones in particular?"

"Yeah," Zoira said, nodding. "They were all hunted down and killed generations ago, by what the shamans have told me. The dragons around here were part of a fire-breathing brood, led by the brood-mother Atarka. All gone now, though. Atarka is said to have fallen last, cornered in a cave."

"What, they were _all_ killed?" Mizuki asked, her eyes also wide. "I've seen dragons before, Zoira... pretty tough bastards."

Zoira shrugged under her borrowed coat. "The fine details were lost over time. All I know is that it happened, and the clans have feuded ever since. And now, a Sphaera shard may have been thrown into the mix. Never a dull moment, huh?"

Mizuki grinned. "Bring it on."

The party advanced steadily down the mountain slope, a chilly wind picking up as ragged white clouds drifted across the sky, skirting around the harsh, cold sun. Morrel kept hearing distant wails and roars of beasts throughout the mountains (Qal Sisma mountains, according to Zoira), probably bears, elementals, and apparently, "yeti" creatures as well. Plus the cries of other fauna like elk, reindeer and goats.

"Okay, I think we're getting close," Zoira told Morrel and Mizuki, coming back from a quick chat with the tribal chief. "We're gonna set up camp at a good spot an hour's walk from here, then scout the place and prepare to drive out the Mardu raid parties."

"How long's that gonna take?" Mizuki demanded, shivering harder than ever. "We'd better find a Sphaera shard..."

"The Temur have a strategy: wait and see, then pounce with the ferocity of a bear," Zoira said patiently. "It works, you know. I've seen them at it. There's even a folk tale of a man and woman who got lost one winter night, and they even challenged a bear in its cave den. Instead of backing off, the bear actually let them in and fed them!"

"Did that really happen?" Morrel asked curiously.

"Who knows?" Zoira shrugged. "Still a nice story, though."

The Temur all halted, tensed.

A bear sniffed the air and growled deeply. "Easy, girl," a Temur man said, patting the bear's head. "You smell fresh meat?"

"This can't be good. Give me a sec..." Mizuki produced her gold capsule, tapped the passcode into its runes, and summoned her Esperite homunculus, Sora. The blue-skinned, dark-eyed child tilted his head back, his blue-white-black mana radiating from his body in waves.

"What the hell's that thing?" a Temur warrior asked, wrinkling his nose at the homunculus.

"This is Sora," Mizuki said. She manifested her left arm's curse. "Shut up, okay? Something's goin' on..."

"Danger, mistress," Sora said, giving off more waves. "Incoming hostiles detected. There... and there... and there..." He started pointing in different spots around the mountainous terrain.

Zoira fired up her red mana aura. "Get ready!" she shouted.

Not two seconds later, the loud whinnying of horses, the thunder of hooves, and the collected roar of fury echoed across the land. From further down the slope and around a corner, countless Mardu cavalrymen raced up to meet the Temur, red and yellow lightning streaking from their horses' insane speed.

Arrows rained down from a root-choked ridge, and bears and men alike shouted as the arrowheads pierced them. Bears and frost elementals roared in defiance and the Temur prepared their javelins and mana for defense, clustering around the attack points Sora had indicated.

Morrel was sure that only Sora's early warning saved the Temur from total slaughter. The warriors barely reached the Mardu clansmen's attack points in time, evading the worst of the Mardu attacks. Spears, javelins, maces, and arm-mounted bone claws tore into the Mardu raiders, human, orc, and goblin alike. But just as many Temur succumbed, their bodies diced by Mardu scimitars, pierced by arrows, or roasted by red-black lightning.

"Large mana aura detected," Sora said, pointing at another ridge. "Significant risk."

Morrel turned, his mana aura already flared up, and beheld Rohkan.

The four-armed, blue-skinned vedalken landed with an earth-shuddering thud, bracing himself as he caved in the mountain path. His four swords were drawn, and he flourished them as he stood. "You're so easy to find," he commented over the din of inter-clan battle. "Zoira, you have no subtlety, do you? Ganbaatar's men were more than ready."

Zoira answered by conjuring her phoenix and sending it racing right at Rohkan's smug face.

Rohkan rolled out of the phoenix's way and allowed the firebird to crash into the mountainside in a blast of flame. The vedalken pointed his four swords at Morrel and Mizuki, red mana flowing down his blades and to the tips.

 _Not this again!_ Morrel tensed himself, then sprang to the side as Rohkan released four huge fireballs.

Morrel's vision was swallowed up in fire as the projectiles blasted all across the narrow battlefield, throwing a few stray Temur aside in the process. Morrel sprang on Rohkan's flank, his blue-white-green mana charging along his left fist, cold air whipping at his face. _I've got this one chance!_

Just as Rohkan turned to see Morrel flanking him, Morrel pounded the ground with his fist. His mana raced along the rocky road and up Rohkan's left leg, solidifying into oversized crystals that enveloped his body. The crystals surged up his torso and onto his left arms, locking them into place.

"Not expecting that, were you?" Morrel taunted breathlessly.

Before Rohkan could respond, Mizuki emerged from the residual flames and slashed her claws down his chest, tearing his flesh wide open. Red blood blasted everywhere.

The crystals shattered as Rohkan was sent reeling, and before he could recover, Zoira's phoenix circled back around and swept its wings. With a gale of scorching air, the bird sent Rohkan crashing into the mountainside. He vanished in a pile of snow.

"Good work, guys," Zoira panted, catching up to them. She exended an arm and her phoenix landed on it. "Let's finish him before -"

Four cavalrymen came thundering down on the party of three, their enchanted hooves smashing into the ground. Morrel crouched and threw up a blue-white barrrier, but it was no good; one cavalryman's horse trampled his barrier apart, and the leftover energy flattened Morrel onto his back, stunning him. He instinctively shielded his face with his hands as the horse reared up, hooves poised to crush him -

Zoira's phoenix drilled its beak right into the horse's haunch and sent it flying, rider and all.

 _That was close!_ Morrel scrambled to his feet and leaped, his green-white mana charging his left arm's muscles. A terrific punch knocked aside a second raider, freeing up Mizuki as the last two raiders squared off with them.

Then _everyone_ was sent flying as another quartet of fireballs tore up the battlefield, and Morrel shouted as he felt the fierce red mana charring his torso, vaporizing his own mana inch by inch. His head ached as he was sent tumbling across the rocky road, his skull throbbing as it hit the ground.

 _Those raiders... they covered for Rohkan!_ Morrel groaned and dragged himself to his hands and knees, his ears ringing as he looked up. He saw Rohkan striding over, his green mana finishing healing his wounds. Another fireball threw Mizuki aside like a doll, and Morrelt a thrill of fury as he saw her tumble helplessly away, her body mangled.

"You have no business on this plane!" Rohkan shouted over the battle, advancing on Zoira. "Azrael will get what he wants. You're only going to get yourself killed here."

Zoira prepared to launch her phoenix -

Another fireball knocked her onto her back, and in a flash, Rohkan leaped on her, slashing his swords down to slice her apart.

Zoira scrambled out of the way, and her phoenix let out a flame jet to push Rohkan away for one precious second. This bought Mizuki enough time to blast him away with a jet of black mana from her fingertip.

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way," Rohkan snapped, getting to his feet a short distance away. He ran red-green mana down his swords and bundled them together in a ray of mana.

 _What the..._ Morrel got to his feet and stumbled over to Mizuki, his remaininbg mana humming around him.

Rohkan's four swords fused together, and he held the new sword in his upper left arm with grim resolve. Its blade was solid gold, red-green mana buzzing along its edges.

"This is a weapon unlike any other on my home plane of Mirrodin," Rohkan boasted. "Watch."

He swung it.

Huge ribbons of red-green mana snaked across the battlefield, thrashing around like whips. The ribbons arced viciously around the battlefield, sending up blasts of mana everywhere they hit, and whole chunks of the mountain road collapsed down to the valley far below.

Mizuki fired another mana blast, only for Rohkan's ribbons to converge on it and neutralize it with a detonation of red-green-black mana.

Rohkan emerged from the blast with his gold sword poised over his head. "Should have run when you had the chance," he told them. "Too bad."

 _No! We're already too tired to fight him like this..._ Morrel summoned his mana for a blue-white barrier just as Rohklan slashed his gold sword down.

The whole mountain ridge shuddered as the red-green mana ribbons thundered down on it. Morrel felt a thrill of vertigo as the ground beneath him crumbled and collapsed, and he felt himself fall with the chunks of stone.

Mizuki desperately fired another mana jet and Zoira's phoenix added its fire, but the best they could do was push Rohkan back. Then, a mana ribbon shot through the air and pierced the phoenix.

The bird screeched in pain and drew back, bleeding liquid flames. It swooped down and seized Morrel, Mizuki and Zoira in its claws, pumping its wings wearily as more rocks and snow tumbled around it.

Slowly, painfully, the phoenix lowered its three passengers down through the valley, toward the protective shelter of the pine trees.

"Wait! Rohkan..." Morrel blurted.

"We've gotta run," Zoira said grimly as the battlefield became far above them. "You saw what he did. We'll have to rethink things..."

Morrel didn't see the point in arguing. _We're totally outclassed, aren't we..._


	26. Aurora

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 26: Aurora**

"Take me to _his_ chambers," Nihil snapped as he stepped into the silvery tower's main lobby. "I don't have long to be on this plane, you see."

"Of course, sir," an aide said, bowing his head. He wore black, plated armor and a blue cape, his right hand replaced with a metal duplicate. Many other humans and four-armed vedalken patrolled the metallic, dimly-lit halls. The whole place smelled musty and salty, given how it was on the coast of the oily Quicksilver Sea. Blue lights pulsed at regular intervals on the ceiling, and tiny metallic creatures skittered in the shadows.

Nihil held his chin high as the aide escorted him to an elevator, its steel grate sliding away to admit the two men. Once the grate clanged shut, the elevator rumbled and lifted them swiftly upwards on blue and white mana cables. Neither said a word; none were needed.

Stepping out on the highest floor of the Lumengrid tower, Nihil smoothed his black jacket and ran a hand through his blond hair, a satisfied grin on his face as he approached a shut pair of double doors.

"It's me," he said, his strong voice echoing through the eerily empty hallway.

Spiny, black metal limbs reached from the walls and pried the doors apart, silently welcoming the planeswalker.

Nihil stepped in.

In the huge, half-lit room's center stood the huge, hunch-backed silver body of Jin-Gitaxias, busily tinkering with a scrying pool, surrounded by _compleat_ homunculi and Neurok people. Bizarre contraptions clanked, whirred, and hissed smelly steam on shelves and tables all over the tall room.

"Nihil," came Jin-Gitaxias' oddly smooth, deep voice. The serpentine, long-limbed cyborg slowly turned around, his pointed, eyeless face studying the much-smaller human. "I did not expect a progress report until tomorrow, my boy."

Nihil eased himself onto his hands and knees and bowed his head to the Progress Engine's glorious praetor. "Our enemies are weaker than we thought after all, my lord. I suppose the debacle on Innistrad was only a fluke. Either way, that foolish Maretta is dead."

"By your hand, I presume."

"Literally." Nihil mimed the gesture that had killed Maretta on Esper.

Jin-Gitaxias chuckled, a deep, grating noise. He tapped his long, metal fingers together. "Oh, humans are so full of wit at times. Elesh Norn told me how you were a simple Auriok man until her forces discovered you."

"My gratitude is eternal." Nihil was proud to represent the tentative alliance between the Progress Engine and the white-aligned Machine Orthodoxy.

"What news do you bring?" Jin-Gitaxias asked, his tone suddenly all business.

"Rohkan and I are making good progress on Tarkir," Nihil reported at once. "The Mardu clan's speed is just as much an asset as I had hoped. We're making good progress against the Temur, in order to win the favor of a certain warchief named Ganbaatar."

"These 'Temur' being a rival clan there?"

"Yes. Hardy mountain people, friends of elementals and bears. Their attunement to the natural world could help me find a Sphaera shard on Tarkir, given that there is one. I'd just have to capture some first."

Jin-Gitaxias nodded. "I see. And the shard that Azrael's enemies captured on Innistrad?"

"Probably on Esper or Zendikar. Respectively, they're Veldor's and Zoira's home planes. I doubt that those teenagers were entrusted with the Sphaera shard on _their_ home planes."

"So... Zendikar, Esper..." Jin-Gitaxias gestured toward his scrying pool. "Long have I suspected that worlds outside New Phyrexia existed. And here you are, proving me right! How many probes would you like?"

Nihil knew that Jin-Gitaxias was just indulging him. "All you can spare, my lord."

Jin-Gitxias barked something in the harsh Phyrexian language, and two _compleat_ vedalken dragged over a vat crawling with creatures. The vedalken tipped it over, and over a hundred centipede-like probe constructs skittered over the floor, all converging on Nihil. About a meter long each, they were as thick as Nihil's forearms and had a single yellow eye each, and two scythe-like front arms for grabbing and cutting.

"Disperse the bulk of them on Zendikar and Esper," Jin-Gitaxias said, "and a few each on other planes as you see fit."

Nihil marveled at the probes as they crawled all over him like curious newborns. He'd have to infuse each with a tiny sliver of his Spark to distribute them across the worlds of the Multiverse, and after that... the search was on.

"Perhaps Kaladesh, or Fiora or Vryn," Nihil muttered to himself.

"What's that?" Jin-Gitaxias demanded.

"Possible planes where Veldor might hide his Sphaera shard, my lord," Nihil explained. "They fit his tastes. He loves schemes and artifice almost as much as us. He'd make an excellent thrall of the Progress Engine."

Jin-Gitaxias had no eyes, but Nihil swore he saw a spark of ravenous greed cross the monster's face.

Scooping up all the probes under his arm, Nihil bowed his way out and got to work. The Multiverse was too small a place to hide from the Progress Engine...

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel knew that it was no good; the battle was the Mardu's, and Rohkan's, to win. He staggered to his feet in the snowy pine forest far below the mountain ridge, helplessly listening to the faint sounds of battle, the distant flashes of spells from both sides. It wasn't too long before the chaos ended.

The Temur villagers were all dead for sure.

"Gods _damn_ him!" Mizuki snarled as she got to her feet, her face red from rage and the cold. Her black hair whipped around her face in the frigid mountain wind. "Since when did he have that power?!"

"He must have underestimated us back on Lorwyn," Morrel realized heavily. "Us being young, and him being powerful anyway... this time, Azrael and his men know what they're dealing with. And here we are."

"It's not over yet," Zoira said, standing up and allowing her phoenix to perch itself on her arm. "I can befriend other Temur tribes; I know their ways. Rohkan and the Mardu will need time to rest before moving on and organizing their search."

Morrel felt his sore, weary body tremble. "What of us, though? Zoira, we're totally stranded, and exhausted. Where do we even go?"

"Stop complaining!" Zoira snapped, then sighed. "Sorry. I just can't have you guys giving up on me."

Mizuki hugged herself for warmth. "Right. But where can we go? D'you know this place, Zoira?" Her tone made her doubt clear.

Zoira drew herself together. "I am a Tajuru elf of Zendikar! I'm always at home in the wilds. I could survive a harsh jungle with one arm tied behind my back. Just let me -"

She stopped when a loud, deep growl cut through the freezing, pine-scented air.

Morrel stumbled back in shock as a tremendous, brown-furred bear lumbered out of the tree line, its lips pulled back in a warning growl. Nearby, another bear emerged, no less angry at the intrusion. They made a pincer manuever, trapping the three interluders between them.

"You were talkin' 'bout wilderness survival, right?" Mizuki asked, her voice high with fear.

"Bears don't grow this big on Zendikar!" Zoira squeaked, her phoenix cawing nervously.

Morrel felt his heart race. "I don't think I have the mana to hold them both off."

The two bears studied the interlopers carefully with their beady eyes, huffing and panting, their breath steaming in the air. Then -

Both bears dipped their heads and made high-pitched grunts, their eyes suddenly soft.

Mizuki gasped. "Did they... just say hi?"

"Zoira, we smell like the Temur," Morrel realized, watching as one bear pawed happily on the frozen, snowy earth. "And we ate their food... are we attuned to them, or something?"

"Natural connections are delicate but definite," Zoira said with awe. "The bears recognize us as friends of the Temur, and therefore one of them. The Temur arae secretive and nomadic; it's not easy for just anyone to associate with them. The bears know that we've earned the Temur clan's, and therefore their, trust."

Morrel sighed with relief. "Maybe they can find shelter for us."

"We can't fight Rohkan and the Mardu with _bears_ , though," Mizuki pointed out.

"We'll find a way," Zoira assured her. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

Mizuki clearly relaxed. "Fine. Let's do it."

Zoira helped Morrel and Mizuki climb aboard one bear, and after giving some pointers, she sat atop the other and patted its head. "We need shelter," she told it quietly. "Just for the night. The Mardu are everywhere. We have to fight them."

The bear huffed and ambled off.

Morrel couldn't help an amazed grin as his and Mizuki's bear lumbered along with Zoira's, seemingly tireless as it navigated the pine forest, rocky chasms, mountain streams, and other wilderness. Other creatures like huge elk, foxes and wolves scampered out of the way; clearly, bears commanded respect among all animals, not just the Temur clansmen.

Night fell when the bears finally brought the party to a wide-mouthed cave further along the Qal Sisma mountain range, and Morrel and Mizuki gratefully ate from Zoira's ration packs with her. They settled against the snoozing bears for shelter, warmth, and comfort all at once, watching the stars rotate in the dark sky overhead.

"Oh, the auroras," Zoira commented as sheets of blue, green, and red lights danced in the sky to the north.

Morrel marveled at the light show. Nothing on Bant was anything like it, no equal of the exotic natural beauty. He took Mizuki's hand in his, savoring the warmth. "See? Zoira knows her stuff. This is actually rather cozy."

Mizuki laughed. "Our standards have really sunk on this mad quest, haven't they?" She smiled, her eyes on Morrel's. "So, we're gonna kick Rohkan's ass next time, right? Tell me we're gonna do it."

"We'll have to outmaneuver him," Morrel figured. "He's tough, but obvious. Let's try and think of new ways to combine our spells, and see what happens. We need a new angle."

Mizuki sighed and snuggled against Morrel, resting her head on his shoulder. "In the morning, okay? Too tired now."

"Right." For a minute, Morrel was content to rest with Mizuki against the bear's warm fur, but he frowned as he watched the auroras slowly infuse themselves with more red, odd colors radiating from a certain spot behind a particular peak. Almost like... some disturbance was radiating from there. He pointed at it.

"I'm not sure what that is," Zoira admitted, the brilliant colors reflecting in her eyes. "Or whether it'll be for good or ill. We'll find another Temur village tomorrow and ask them. All I know is, things are only gonna get tougher from here. You ready for that?"

Morrel gently ran a hand through Mizuki's dark hair. "I've got to be, don't I?"

"Good man." With that, Zoira drifted off to sleep.

*o*o*o*o*

Veldor's dust-filter screens were in top form as the Esper man trudged across Dominaria's blasted landscape. He kept passing burnt, twisted ruins of buildings, war machines, and natural formations under the blistering orange sun, the whole sky an unhealthy orange-yellow tint. Scouting parties of Dominaria-breed kithkin kept darting through the sorrowful wreckage, and raider/scavenger parties of humans and dwarves kept careful track of Veldor's progress, but they didn't dare come close. A quick demonstration of Veldor's poly-alloy liquid Etherium arm's capabilities had properly scared them off.

 _Zoira, please be safe,_ Veldor kept thinking, his stoic, mechanical mind softening every time the elf lady crossed it. He wanted to curse himself for being so nostalgic, but by the Hegemon's grace, he couldn't help it. If Azrael or his goons hurt her, they'd feel a liquid metal arm through the heart!

Veldor scaled a craggy, wreckage-littered hill and scanned the bleak vista. Not much to see...

 _There!_

A lonely temple stood out among the ruins, somehow in perfect condition, not one stone brick out of place, its stained-glass windows whole and uncracked. How could that be?

Veldor squared his metal shoulders and traced a sneaky path to the looming temple. _Have to be careful now. No margin for error._

Once, Veldor had heard Zoira use the amusing term "jackpot" for situations like this. He mouthed the word to himself, savoring it.

 _Jackpot!_


	27. The Fool

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 27: The Fool**

Nihil ignored the laughter, crude jokes, and battle stories of Ganbaatar's forward base camp deep in the Qal Sisma mountains and stood at the camp's edge, looking outward. His arms were folded across his well-muscled chest, a frigid wind ruffling his blond hair as he studied the wilderness. He didn't care that the smell of well-cooked game and beer drifted through the air, beckoning him.

Nihil had no need to eat.

Footsteps crunched in the snow, and Nihil turned to see Rohkan approach. "Not hungry?" Nihil asked idly.

Rohkan shook his head. "Not in particular. You seem distracted."

"What gave it away?" Nihil' lip curled in a slight grin.

"It's not funny," Rohkan insisted. His dark eyes scanned the mountain range before him. "Do you see something? ... oh. _That_."

Nihil nodded and pointed. "I can see it clearly... and feel its mana on the air. Ganbaatar's men have told me of the auroras around here, which the Temur consider whispers of the past. But there's -"

"Something else about it," Rohkan finished, nodding. "I sense it, too." His eyes narrowed on his blue, hairless face. "Such a strong connection to primordial life-forces... probably a shard of the Sphaera Vitae. The last one that's unaccounted for."

"Somewhere out there," Nihil said, unable to hide his excitement. "Rohkan, with the Mardu clan's speed, we could circumvent any other Temur defenders and find the source! Veldor and his allies will have no chance to interfere."

Rohkan glanced back at the festive Mardu, who were still intoxicated from their victorious battle. "Though that also means stealing it from under Ganbaatar's nose."

"Stuck in a moral quandary, my blue friend?"

"No! Just that the Mardu's speed and temper will be brought to bear against us."

"Yes. But we've both handled worse, I'm sure," Nihil said dismissively. "I'll bet that by this time tomorrow, we'll be back on Dominaria to bring Azrael a little gift."

Rohkan opened his mouth to respond when Ganbaatar himself wandered over. "My friends!" he said loudly. "Why are you here alone? Have a little fun before we ride off tomorow!"

 _Simple buffoon._ Nihil pointed at the odd auroras. "I suggest that we go there next, hordechief. The Temur are probably drawing power from the source of that aurora's disturbance. It'll be good to relieve them of that advantage, wouldn't it?"

Nihil watched with glee as Ganbaatar's dull mind ate it up. "We ride at dawn!" Ganbaatar announced, and nearby humans, orcs, goblins, and aven soldiers cheered at his words.

Ganbaatar slung an arm around Nihil's shoulders. "My friend, we'll crush the pitiful Temur at last," he boasted. "If you and Rohkan keep fighting like you did earlier, this land will be ours!"

Nihil watched Rohkan grin appreciatively, and Nihil offered a smile, too. Not Ganbaatar, or even Rohkan, could guess what was in store.

*o*o*o*o*

Veldor found no sign of a "watchdog" aura dome around the peculiar Dominaria temple, but all the same, he carefully and slowly edged his way to the impossibly well-preserved building, his booted feet kicking up dry, loose dirt and bits of metal from an old battle. He squinted in the hot, lonely sun's light until the temple's roof eclipsed it in Veldor's vision.

Veldor's Etherium hands ran along the temple's brick walls, as though searching for a particular one. Around the building he went, his cunning eyes scanning every detail of the stained glass windows and the little gargoyles on the corners. Nothing out of place. Yet.

Then he reached the front doors. Two tall wooden doors, shut tight. Veldor ran a hand down the doors' crack, blue-black-white mana crackling on his hands. Nothing out of place here, either.

Silently, Veldor's left hand morphed and elongated into a thin blade that Veldor slipped through the doors' crack. The blade split into two, wedging the doors apart until they creaked open, swinging outwards. Cooler air from the temple's interior washed over Veldor.

As Veldor's left hand morphed back into shape, he marched right into the temple's interior, past wooden pews and across the stained glass windows' colorful lights on the floor. He saw a shut wooden door behind the altar; perhaps it led to the lower floors? Storage?

Where Azrael's two shards of the Sphaera Vitae would be?

"You weren't invited, Veldor."

Veldor's left hand morphed back into sword shape as he whirled around, mana coursing through his metal chest like adrenaline. He found himself face-to-face with Azrael, the red-haired man standing calmly with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore his usual studded leather armor and blue cape.

"You're either bold or desperate to come in here," Azrael commented, circling around his guest. His sharp eyes didn't leave Veldor as his boots echoed through the empty room. "By yourself, no less."

"Had to determine location of your base of operations," Veldor summarized. "Objective now complete."

"And I'm guessing," Azrael said calmly, "that your _second_ objective is to steal the two shards of my Sphaera Vitae that I have claimed?"

"If possible, though success unlikely."

"On that, we can agree." Azrael completed another circuit and stood again before Veldor. This time, he shoved his face right into the other man's. "Absurd that you oppose me, Veldor. You are a man of artifice, of science, of discovering the Multiverse's secrets and possibilities! We are so similar in that way."

"Convinced otherwise," Veldor said flatly. "Zoira showed me Kaida's memory capsule contents. Your Sphaera Vitae fundamentally flawed. Will malfunction again if reassembled, and resulting detonation will cause severe damage to stability of AEther around Dominaria. Will shatter nearby planes and kill many."

"You don't know that, and neither does Zoira," Azrael rasped. He had gone pale. "You don't know the agony of losing your entire people, and the burden of responsibility of being the only man capable of bringing them back! I've told you once before, Veldor!"

"I remember that conversation, before we began our respective quests," Veldor retorted. "I recall that you are driven by madness and misplaced guilt. Foolish. You should not attempt the Sphaera Vitae's reactivation." His eyes narrowed. "First explosion killed your sister. Why replicate that scenario?"

Azrael let out a pained yell and threw a fast punch right at Veldor's nose.

Veldor's right arm was there halfway to meet it, the open palm accepting the blow. The impact shockwave shuddered the air and cracked the stained glass windows.

"How... dare you," Azrael panted. "You stand there... all smug -"

"I cannot allow the machinations of a fool to go unhindered," Veldor said, his arm trembling slightly as he held Azrael's punch at bay. "Zoira trusted Kaida's memory, and I trust her."

"Her? One pretty elf finds you, and you make the biggest mistake of your life," Azrael ground out. "She's deluding you, Veldor! How did you fall for that? Did you fall for her? Is that how she controls -"

"Disappointed, Azrael," Veldor said. "Resorting to unbased accusations. Zoira a most sensible planeswalker and elf. Has Multiverse's best interests at heart. Her and my planeswalker code formalized the terms of such sentiment."

On that note, Veldor broke away from Azrael and did a series of backflips, positioning himself just outside the temple. "Your plan cannot proceed without all four shards," Veldor reminded the other man. "I will keep mine safe until the others and I can neutralize you and your minions. Then... we will see."

Azrael charged for another hysterical attack, but Veldor had already gathered his blue-black-white mana around him. Dominaria's hot, dusty sun, the immaculate temple, and the raving Azrael vanished from his sight.

 _The fool..._

*o*o*o*o*

Zoira's phoenix flew ahead of her party the next morning, gliding casually on the mountain air, flapping its flaming wings every minute or so. It looked this way and that, its beady eyes taking in the chilly mountain morning. Snow-dusted pine trees swayed, creeks burbled, and elk rustled through the foliage.

Morrel tried to ignore the rumbling in his stomach as he splashed his way through a stream with the others, his breath coming in white puffs in the air. Zoira hoped to find a Temur camp and rally them to drive away the Mardu. Morrel just wanted breakfast.

Sora, too, walked ahead of the three, giving off regular waves of blue mana. Unlike the phoenix, he could detect creatures hidden by natural cover or magic, though the range was smaller than the phoenix's sight. Definitelty useful.

And the air... Morrel sniffed, and he once again detected the odd, multi-colored mana in the air. The feeling was strongest when he faced the same direction as the unruly auroras from last night. Just what hid in the Qal Sisma mountains?

Would Azrael's minions get there first?

"Bear detected," Sora said, pointing at the edge of another copse of pine trees. "Anger and hunger in its mind. May attack."

"I thought we got along with bears now?" Mizuki complained, the chilly air tossing her dark hair.

"Maybe not _all_ of them," Zoira said grimly. "It could be a mother bear, hunting for breakfast for her cubs. She'd never put us before them."

"A mother? I'd much rather _not_ harm it," Morrel put in. "It would be -"

"Dishonorable?" Mizuki teased.

Morrel made a face. "I suppose. On moral grounds, it -"

Zoira's phoenix screeched a warning just as Sora flinched. "Hostiles!" the homunculus barked. "Incoming!"

The phoenix pumped its wings faster now, circling over a certain patch of the copse, jabbing its beak down as though pointing. Morrel stopped and tensed up, listening to the sudden rush of noises in the copse. He heard the mother bear's roar, a few hisses, the rasp of unsheathed weapons -

A pulsing wave of grotesque mana radiated from the copse, and Zoira's phoenix cawed another warning. Morrel fired up his green-white-blue mana aura as Mizuki and Zoira prepared their own.

Everything fell oddly silent for a moment.

Six beings erupted from the copse, weapons drawn.

"What the hell!" Mizuki blurted.

Three brawny human men leered at Morrel's party, long, gold-bladed swords drawn. But their companions were something else entirely: towering snake-people with green-blue scales, their faces flatter and more humanoid than a mundane snake's, and with much more malice. The snake-men wore leather armor vests and gold necklaces, and silver, jewel-encrusted wrist braces. They seemed just as opulent as battle-capable.

The three snake-people slowly slithered closer, brandishing long, pole-like weapons. Each pole had a half-circular, fan-like blade at the end, no doubt wicked sharp. Green-black-blue enchantments hummed on the weapons, warping the very around them.

Bear blood stained one of them.

"Hey, first catch of the morning!" one of the human men called out. "Taksha, how d'ya wanna handle 'em?"

The tallest snake-person twirled his weapon, beady eyes fixed on Morrel's party. "Kill the adolescents," it rasped. "Take the woman alive. She smells... strange. Khan Sidisi would love to see what she's _made of_."

The others laughed.

Zoira drew a sharp breath. "Go ahead and try, freaks!"

This only drew more laughter.

"Who the hell are they?" Mizuki demanded.

"They're from the Sultai clan," Zoira grated. "A scout party, no doubt. Those snake-folk are nagas. The officers of Khan Sidisi. Don't let their weapons touch you."

Morrel shivered as he watched the three nagas flourish their pole-blades with expert skill and speed.

"The Sultai want to expand their greedy empire across all of Tarkir," Zoira added, watching the party of six approach. "And that includes Temur territory. There's bound to be more somewhere."

Morrel pointed. "Look out!"

For the three nagas had lowered themselves to the ground and shot forth on cushions of blue-black mana.

The three nagas righted themselves and swung down their pole-blades, the weapons hissing through the frigid air. Morrel rolled out of harm's way just as one gold fan-blade sliced into the ground next to him, and he coughed as the blade's enchantment radiated a noxious aura. His head went light and he rolled helplessly, his muscles relaxing against his will.

The naga's towering form filled Morrel's vision as it loomed over him, hissing and poising its weapon for the killing blow.

A streak of red intercepted the naga, and both parties were thrown aside and grappled for control in a storm of hissing and screeching.

Morrel shook off the enchantment's effects and staggered to his feet, wobbling as his nauseated stomach and shaken mana roiled horribly inside him. He blinked to clear his vision and saw Zoira's phoenix fighting for control over the naga on a snowbank, the both of them throwing up sheets of snow.

Zoira strode forward, pointing at the naga. "Go for the eyes!" the elf roared, her two braided ponytails whipping in her intensified red mana aura.

A loud howl of pain followed the command three seconds later.

The phoenix took to the air as the naga clapped its hands over its bleeding eye sockets, dropping its pole-blade. No doubt it was blinded.

"Zoira!" Morrel whirled around and threw up a remote blue-white mana barrier just as the three human warriors converged on the distracted elf, but the naga's noxious spell still sapped at his mana, and the shaky barrier split easily when the Sultai warriors struck it with their swords. One sword swing found its target and sliced open Zoira's thigh.

Red blood splashed into the pure snow as Zoira stumbled back, a hand seizing her wound, her chest heaving. The three human warriors closed in on her -

"HEY!" Mizuki leaped onto the scene and brought down her cursed left hand's claws on one human warrior, tearing open his chest. His hot blood steamed in the cold mountain air.

The two other warriors brought their swords into the ready position. Too late. Mizuki kicked one man's sword aside and jammed her claws into his throat, then withdrew them and slashed her claws across the other man's heart. Both warriors crumpled into red, steaming snow.

The three nagas converged on her, even the blind one.

A blast of Mizuki's black mana enveloped the scene and shuddered the ground just as Morrel sensed the nagas' green-black-blue mana fire up. He sprinted to the detonation, heart racing, mana humming on his fists. _Mizuki!_

From the smoke of the mana explosion, Mizuki staggered out, her body bruised and burnt, and she collapsed face-first into the snow.

Behind her, two of the nagas lay in smoking ruins, including the blind one. The last one screamed in fury and slithered after Mizuki, pole-weapon poised.

 _The blind one must have sniffed her out!_ Morrel knew there was no time to waste. He crouched and thrust both palms into the frozen dirt, then sent two jets of green-white-blue mana at the naga, his body trembling from the strain. His inner mana shuddered and squirmed in discomfort, but Morrel bared his teeth and willed his mana to hold. _Just for another second!_

Just as the third naga bore down on Mizuki to cleave her in half, Morrel's mana surged up its body, hardening into jagged crystals as it went. The naga seized and hissed in shock as the crystals locked its arms into place, its whole body trembling awkwardly.

Morrel panted and stayed on his hands and knees. _That enchantment is wrecking my mana!_

Just as Morrel feared, the naga broke his crystals only seconds later, its muscles bulging under its green scales. It locked its eyes hungrily on Mizuki -

Zoira's phoenix bolted through the air like an arrow and slammed right into the naga's chest. Smoke, and the stink of burnt flesh, radiated from the wound.

The phoenix cawed in pain as the naga swatted it aside with the flat side of its fan-blade. Green-black-blue mana soaked into its flaming feathers, dousing the fire as it went. The phoenix thrashed on the ground, smoking just like the naga.

"MORREL! DO SOMETHING!" Zoira howled.

Morrel charged his muscles with the last of his green-white mana and, ignoring the sickening churning of his stomach and mind, sprinted across the frozen ground and bore down on the injured naga. He drew back his right fist.

The naga shrieked as Morrel's knuckles plowed into its charred chest wound. The blow splintered its ribs and crushed its heart and lungs, and the naga instantly went slack and coiled in a dead heap in the snow.

Morrel gasped with fatigue and fell to his hands and knees again, scrunching his face agains the horrible stench of the dead nagas and their lingering, toxic mana auras. He crawled away and gulped down lungfuls of clean air to clear his head.

Nearby, Zoira unsummoned her phoenix and powered down her red mana aura. "Good... punch," she panted. "We should be in the clear for now. Not for long, though. We've... gotta find cover. I can scavenge medicinal plants. I know the species around here."

"Okay." Morrel crouch-walked over to Mizuki and tentatively ran a hand along her shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

"Oh, that _hurt_." Mizuki flopped herself over, managing a watery smile. "You got 'em, right?"

"Yeah. Zoira and I finished the last naga. But what _was_ that, just now?"

Mizuki's grin broadened. "Point-blank mana blast. I'm already fed up with this plane. Thought I'd get rid of those naga nice and quick."

Morrel gently took Mizuki's head in his hands. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"Worked, didn't it?"

"Well... yeah. It did." Morrel powered down his mana and wiped his brow. "So, now another clan's around here. How are we going to find a Sphaera Vitae shard in all this?"

"We'll find a way. Don't we always?"

Morrel swallowed and nodded.


	28. Arrival

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 28: Arrival**

Zoira insisted that Morrel and Mizuki stay still until her medicinal plants fully soaked into their systems. Easier said than done.

 _The Mardu are still out there. Rohkan is out there too,_ Morrel couldn't stop thinking. His breaths came in sharp, rapid gasps as a noxious-smelling purple flower's nectar sizzled in his blood. Apparently, it restored mana. Felt like hell.

Zoira sighed as a dull orange balm finished soaking into her own wounds, and she tentatively touched Morrel and Mizuki's necks, checking their pulses and warmth.

"Can we go already?" Mizuki grated, laying restlessly on the cave floor. Her dark hair was in long clumps from sweat. She almost shied away from Zoira's probing fingers.

"I suppose it's been long enough," Zoira said. She stood and dusted herself off, her eyes flashing. "We've got some ground to cover. You both sure you're ready?"  
"I've _been_ ready," Morrel said firmly, springing to his feet. He offered a hand and helped Mizuki up. "Rohkan isn't going to wait for us to catch up! And I won't let him get away with what he did to us." His mind flashed back to that vicious fusion gold sword Rohkan had wielded...

A small smile tugged at the corners of Zoira's lips. "Well, aren't _you_ feeling better..."

"We've got a tentative lead on Azrael. We must keep it," Morrel pointed out. "And... I guess a little of Mizuki has rubbed off on me." He grinned at Mizuki, who smirked back.

"About time," she teased him. She toyed with a stand of her hair. "I like it better when you're all fired up."

"Thanks."

"In that case," Zoira said confidently, "we'll need a proper mount. Stand back."

Morrel backed deeper into the cave with Mizuki as Zoira strode out into the chilly open air, spreading her arms wide. Her red mana aura surrounded her like a flaming wreath.

With a yowling screech, Zoira's dragon materialized from the flame, thirty feet long and writhing with energy. It settled onto the ground and crouched to admit the three riders onto its back. It snorted, and smoke puffed from its nostrils.

"I love this thing," Mizuki said as she got onto the beast's back and wrapped her arms around Morrel's chest for stability. "How come you don't use this thing more, Zoira?"

"Have _you_ ever summoned a dragon before?" Zoira panted. "Takes a lot out of you. And the summon won't last long."

At Zoira's command, the dragon spread its wings wide and pumped them. With a lurch, it took to the air, blasting aside snow-frosted pine trees as it pumped its wings harder, angling up toward the sun. Freezing air whistled past Morrel's face, alreaday numbing it. His breath fogged his glasses as he coiled his arms around Zoira for support.

Finally, Zoira hugged her arms around the base of the dragon's neck, and with everyone secure, she ordered the beast forward. With astounding speed, the dragon soared across the Qal Sisma mountains, passing over burbling creek, copses of pine trees, craggy bluffs, and random dragon ribs and skulls half-buried in the war-scarred landscape.

"The Temur are gonna freak the hell out when they see this!" Mizuki shouted over the wind. "Zoira, what if they shoot us down?"

"I doubt it!" Zoira hollered back. "They'll be startled, but I'll make sure that they see us on its back. We'll be fine."

 _The Mardu might shoot us down, though,_ Morrel thought. Surely Zoira was prepared for that.

So far, only wild animals appeared below: bears, elk, wolves, elementals... nothing out of the ordinary as the dragon angled its way deeper into the Qal Sisma mountains, in the direction of last night's strange auroras. Minutes passed. An hour. Two. Three.

Too quiet...

A foul, already-familiar scent choked Morrel's nostrils. The dragon coughed on it.

"Is that -?" Morrel started.

Zoira pointed down. "Sultai!"

She was right. Morrel glanced down and found a party of armored nagas slithering along a frosty crag, along with dozens of human warriors. And this time, they had a big friend: a hulking rhino with a jewel-adorned naga on its saddle. But this rhino had tattered, dark-gray skin and leaked black blood and green ooze. Blue-black-green mana pulsed on some of its exposed bones, and metal spikes had been grafted onto its body at random.

"An Abzan siege beast!" Zoira realized. "An undead one... this isn't good. The Sultai are getting serious about invading the Qal Sisma mountains. I'll bet that... _there!"_

Now Morrel saw where the Sultai assault party was headed: a fierce battle already underway a bit further along the mountains, raging at the edge of a pine forest. Mardu cavalrymen flooded the open ground, thir bows and arrows raining fire on the Temur defenders. Some of the arrows crackled with red and white lightning, and they exploded on contact with man and ground alike.

Overhead, attack squadrons of large aven soldiers swooped down, their cuirasses bearing a symbol painted in red and black: two jagged wings spread outwards. The avens also carried long scimitars sizzling with black-red mana.

"Those aven will tear the Temur apart," Zoira noted. "Why don't we do something about that?"

Morrel hung on tighter as the dragon roared and moved in to intercept.

Two of the Mardu aven broke formation and rolled out of harm's way, but a third was too slow. The bird soldier screeched as Zoira's dragon clamped its jaws onto it, crunching its armor into pieces, aven blood soaking the dragon's gums and teeth. The aven's sword dropped from its limp, clawed hands as the dragon tossed the corpse aside.

Now the other aven swooped in wide orbits around the dragon, clearly preparing for the right moment to strike, the ground battle forgotten.

They charged.

The dragon squirmed to face all the marauding aven soldiers, but the aven approached from disparate angles to confuse it and create blind spots. The dragon roared as the avens flashed past on speedy wings, their enchanted blades slicing it open at random. Hot blood seeped from the wounds, slicking on the dragon's red scales.

"Whoa, they're fast!" Morrel blurted.

"Try and stop them!" Zoira cried. "Anything!"

The aven, meanwhile, organized into two three-man squads, one above the dragon, one below. With their swords poised for the kill, the avens charged again, creating two polar opposite angles of attack. No way the dragon could cover both flanks.

The dragon breathed deep and issued a jet of flame at the overhead aven squad, only to miss as the aven squad parted to create a safe hole in their formation. Meanwhile, the lower squad had nearly reached the dragon -

Morrel twisted around as best he could and threw out a palm that glowed with blue-white mana. He screwed up his face in concentration as he radiated his mana into the air, then focused it.

His blue-white barrier appeared right in front of an aven, and the bird bounced right off it, tumbling awkwardly until it regained its balance, screeching in frustration.

Meanwhile, the other two lower aven reached the dragon. One scored a blow on the dragon's tail, until the dragon's tail whipped out and slapped it aside. Morrel heard the aven's bones break, and it spiraled helplessly to the frozen ground far below.

Then, Mizuki pointed her cursed hand's finger at the last aven, a ball of black mana charging at her claw tip. She fired.

The resulting mana jet vaporized the aven on the spot.

"Good!" Zoira cried. "Now, the others - whoa!"

The three aven of the upper squad moved in. They sliced at the dragon without mercy, and one of them brought his sword down on Morrel and Mizuki, the enchanted blade hissing loudly in the air. It was inches from Mizuki's head -

"NO!" Desperately, Morrel reached out with his other hand, focusing his green-white-blue mana and flooding it into the air. He didn't care that his newly-recovered inner mana protested at the strain.

Blue-green crystals coated the aven and its sword, and the too-heavy bird soldier tumbled out of the way, fighting to stay aloft.

Until the dragon whirled around and charred it with its fire breath.

The last two aven soldiers drifted back, glancing at each other as though asking _now what?_ They glanced back at the dragon.

They fled.

"There, there," Zoira assured her dragon as the beast panted for breath, bleeding all over. "You did enough. Land over there -" - she pointed - "'- and I'll take care of things."

Gratefully, the dragon eased its way down and onto a bare patch of ground at the forest's edge, and as soon as everyone dismounted, Zoira dispelled her mount with a wave of her hand and a puff of flame.

"Hey, look. The Sultai," Mizuki said, pointing. "They're... whoa."

Morrel turned to look.

The Sultai warriors, led by their undead rhino, flanked the Mardu. Green-blue-black mana flashed through the air, and the undead rhino dipped its head and swatted aside random Mardu goblins and humans with its horn. It groaned in a deep, tattered voice. The voice of the restless dead.

For a moment, the Mardu horde shrank back from the combined pressure of the Temur defenders and the Sultai opportunists. The savage orcs and cavalrymen of the Mardu desperately fended off their attackers, but it looked to Morrel like they were buying time...

A wave of hollow, soul-sucking mana swept the battlefield like a gale, and everyone cowered and faltered, Mardu, Temur, and Sultai alike. Morrel recoiled as the insidious black-white mana wave passed through him. He felt himself seize up. _Such cold, such malice... this mana doesn't even feel properly alive!_ It felt like his brain was coiling up like a frightened mouse in its hole.

Mizuki and Zoira had a similar reaction. "I-is it the Sultai?" Mizuki wheezed, clutching her head as though fighting off madness. Maybe she was.

"N-no," Zoira grunted, hands over her heart, her eyes face scrunched with agony. "I've never felt anything like..." Her eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Morrel saw it, too.

A seething cone of purple flame flashed through the air and washed over the undead rhino and its surrounding Sultai warriors. The flames rolled over the very ground where they stood.

Nothing was left. _Nothing._

"They're gone!" Morrel gasped. Not even ashes or charred bones. And the ground... from this vantage point, Morrel saw a wide, smooth gouge in the ground where the Sultai invaders had stood. But it wasn't burnt; it was as though a giant scoop had carved out the earth. Perfectly gone. Wiped out, like the Sultai.

The Temur backed away as the purple flames' owner came forth from among the Mardu ranks. Tendrils of glowing white mana whipped through the air and wrapped themselves around nearby Temur warriors and elementals, arresting them where they stood.

A familar, four-armed blue man approached and pointed his four swords at them. Fireballs charred the helpless Temur.

"Rohkan," Morrel grated.

"And that new guy," Mizuki breathed. "Did he shoot that purple fire?"

Morrel saw him too: a tall, fair-skinned man with stylish blond hair who stood with Rohkan, residual purple flames and white mana cords seething on his open hands. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with a parted black vest over it, plus brown trousers and boots.

The Temur scattered before Rohkan and the newcomer as the two men approached them. The blond man called out something that Morrel couldn't quite make out.

"We gotta kick their asses," Mizuki panted. She wiped her brow. "Zoira, how 'bout that phoenix? It could give us cover -"

"No." Zoira tensely bit the word out, her eyes still wide with horror.

Morrel turned on the Zendikar elf. "What?! Zoira, don't we have to -"

"That blond man," Zoira said, trembling. "His power... it's unnatural, something horrible. If we fight him, we'll get... get wiped out for sure. We have to stay away."

Mizuki threw her hands up in the air. "Coward! Wasn't this whole quest for the Sphaera Vitae _your_ idea? Rohkan and that blond asshole are gonna get Tarkir's Sphaera shard unless we do somethin'!"

"I still have most of my mana," Morrel told the fear-paralyzed Zoira. "We can do this, Zoira. Remember the planeswalker code? Follow its tenants!"

"Yeah. That," Mizuki added, pointing vaguely at Morrel. "Honor, and stuff."

Zoira backed away like an animal, plasting herself against a tree. "We have to leave Tarkir," she huffed. "Now! Veldor may have news for us. He may know something about this."

Morrel felt a chill unrelated to the frozen afternoon. Clearly, Zoira's inner instincts had taken over, screaming at her to flee. Being an elf, she had deep connections to the natural world and instinct. She had made this clear before. If she was having a reaction this strong to the blond man...

"Well..." Morrel turned to Mizuki. "What do you think?"

"Me?" Mizuki tossed her hair. "I came here to get the job done! Didn't you, Morrel?"

"Of course. We all did. But I can't leave Tarkir without you," Morrel said earnestly. "I have to know what you think about -"

A booming roar echoed all across the Qal Sisma mountain range. All went silent and still, even Rohkan and the blond stranger.

Morrel heard vast wings pumping in the air, not unlike Zoira's dragon's wings. What manner of beast -

A vast shadow passed over the battlefield as something blocked out the sun. Morrel and Mizuki hurried out into open ground to get a better view.

Morrel felt his breath catch in his throat.

Impossibly, like a wild dream made real, a huge red-and-green scaled dragon hovered over the battlefield, its wings flapping to keep it aloft. It was far brawnier than Zoira's own dragon, its jaw heavy and almost square, its legs and paws stumpy, its tail somewhat short. Was it... a hatchling? Maybe. Raw, vivid mana seemed to radiate from the dragon, fueling its life force.

Even stranger were the blunt antlers that sprouted from the chunky dragon's head, a compliment to the spines running down its spine and tail. It huffed, green flame churning in its mouth.

It opened its jaws wide and issued a jet of smoking green flame.

The Mardu scattered as the hatchling's fire blast washed over the ground. Swaths of forest burst into flame, the ground churned and smoking as the Mardu scattered. The dragon lowered itself protectively over the Temur, and now, at this angle, Morrel saw it.

A single figure, probably a large man, seated between the dragon's wings, like Zoira had done on her own dragon mount.

Morrel squinted at the mounted figure. _Who... how?_


	29. Break-in

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 29: Break-in**

"But the dragons... they're extinct on Tarkir!" Zoira sputtered, still plastered defensively against a pine tree's trunk. Her breath steamed in the battle-churned air.

"Unless some new planeswalker came along and summoned it?" Mizuki suggested. She shielded her eyes from the cold, glaring Tarkir sun as she watched the hatchling dragon swoop over the Mardu horde. "There's 'walkers strong enough for that."

"N-no." Zoira swallowed and shook her head. "That one's clearly an Atarka-brood dragon. The Temur have shown me drawings, told stories... they're a distinct breed, found nowhere else. How can it be alive? Not even a powerful necromancer could... could..."

The elf shared horrified glances with her teenage companions. The alarm was clear in her eyes.

"Unless a shard of the Sphaera Vitae is animating it," Morrel finished, hardly daring to believe the words even as he spoke them. "It's consistent with what Kaida told us of how it works. Channeling the life force of the Multiverse, bringing back the dead... Azrael wants to use it to revive his people, so why couldn't it apply to a dragon?"

"It's gotta be someone else using it," Mizuki said shakily as the hatchling roared. "Azrael and his minions would just run off with the shard. They don't have any business on Tarkir itself, right? Not after they get the shard."

Morrel glanced back at the Atarka dragon. "I bet Rohkan and his blond friend have figured this out, too. They wouldn't be happy that a third party has Tarkir's Sphaera Vitae shard."

"Wait." Zoira took a few steps forward, her long elf ears twitching. She pointed. "The Temur are rallying!"

Indeed, the Temur warriors, and even the bears, threw up their hands in glee, shouting something as the Atarka hatchling raged over the battlefield. Carefully, Morrel and the others approached the battlefield, keeping clear of the hatchling. Then, Morrel heard what the Temur warriors were saying: _"Our Khan! Our Khan! Praise to our Khan!"_

Mizuki turned on Zoira. "Their Khan?"

"The leader of the Temur," Zoira said, going even more pale. "Every clan has its leading Khan. A man known as Surrak Dragonclaw is the Temur Khan. Tough bastard. I've heard that he's been stressed about Mardu and Sultai incursions..." She glanced over her shoulder at the forboding Qal Sisma Mountains. "The strange auroras came from there... Surrak's main camp is around there!"

"Do you suppose this Khan Surrak found the Sphaera Vitae and used it to revive an Atarka-brood dragon to drive out the invading clans?" Morrel ventured. "Would he go that far?"

"To protect his people, he'd do _any_ damn thing," Zoira said in awe. Her honey-brown eyes watched the looming dragon snap its hungry jaws at stray Mardu orcs and horses. "This makes things... difficult."

"Yeah. How do we kill that thing?" Mizuki asked bitterly. "A whopping dragon... and yours crapped out, Zoira. What does that leave us?"

"The Temur are bound to route the Mardu warriors and Azrael's followers," Zoira said slowly. "After that... we'll have to track the Temur and find Surrak. Negotiate something. Maybe build up enough favors..."

Mizuki stamped an impatient foot. "To hell with that. We can sneak on it and force out the shard. If we're quick enough -"

"You want to assassinate a dragon?" Morrel asked, eyes wide.

"Well... kind of?" Mizuki faltered. "It would be tough, but..."

"Surrak has to protect his people, and _we_ need that shard," Zoira summarized tensely. "There must be a middle ground. The Planeswalker Code isn't about taking advantage of others."

"But..." Mizuki sputtered. "This is crazy, Zoira. You wanna play nice with the Temur? We came here for one damned thing!"

"I know," Zoira snapped, "but I've seen too much suffering to, in good conscience, betray -"

"You've got to be _kidding._ "

"Mizuki -!"

"Uh... girls?" Morrel waved his hands to get their attention and pointed. "Something's going on..."

The Atarka dragon made another pass at the Mardu, but this time, four fireballs arced through the air and blasted the beast's scaly underbelly. The hatchling screeched in irritation and responded with a thick jet of green flame. The Temur cheered.

 _Rohkan,_ Morrel thought. _What's he planning?_  
When the green flames cleared, there was only empty, scorched ground. Then, Morrel saw two distinct figures race across the war-churned ground, right below the dragon. From here, Morrel squinted in the sudden glow as Rohkan coalesced his four swords into a single, gold-bladed sword. The same one that had driven him and the others from that mountain road battle.

 _Angels protect us!_

Rohkan struck again. This time, long, red-green ribbons of razor-edged mana snaked through the cold air. The Atarka hatchling roared as the ribbons lashed through its scaly hide, gallons of steaming red blood seeping across the white snow.

The hatchling sagged in the air, straining to stay aloft. It didn't get a chance to recover; Rohkan's ribbons arced through the air and tore apart its right wing's membranes, and with another pain yowl, the hatchling thudded onto the ground. It groaned and scrabbled its huge claws at the ground.

Zoira clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no..."

Morrel tensed his mana aura, but he was too far from the battle to do much good. And what if the Mardu moved in to block him?

The hatchling swiped its claws desperately, but it was no good. Rohkan's ribbons smacked its nose, and the beast cowered in terror. This gave the blond man a chance to leap over its head and walk down its neck, moving to confront the rider - Khan Surrak.

Morrel stared numbly as Surrak rose to defend himself, raising an enchanted battle-ax to cleave the blond man's head in half. He was far too slow; the blond man concentrated his horrible white-black mana aura and shot out a bare hand.

The blond man's hand punched all the way through Surrak's body, his bloody fingers poking out the back.

Surrak crumpled.

The blond man tore at the Atarka dragon's back as Rohkan's gold blade carved its chest. Together, they dug deeper into its flesh.

"Damn it!" Zoira waved her arms around her, and through a flaming mana gate emerged her phoenix. She pointed, and it raced after the two men.

"Let's go!" Morrel led the charge. At this rate, Azrael would get the shard in his hands. He saw clusters of Mardu warriors converge to block his party, as he expected, but he didn't care. He charged green-white mana into his fists, ready to knock them away.

The Mardu cavalrymen, orc berserkers, and goblins formed a wall of shields, spears, and drawn bows, sneering as Morrel's party advanced. But they didn't yet strike.

Five-colored mana radiated from the Atarka dragon's chest as the blond man stood triumphantly, holding something in his hand: the Sphaera shard!

Morrel and the others skidded to a halt, horrified. "No!" Morrel blurted.

The Mardu parted to admit Rohkan and the blond man, who marched smugly toward Morrel's party. The blond man held the Sphaera shard in both hands.

"I've heard all about you fellows from Azrael," the blond man commented. "My name's Nihil. You see, I grew up poor on the streets of Ravnica until I learned to make something of myself, and then my Spark ignited. This shard..." He motioned with it. "... this will unlock so much potential! Azrael is a visionary artificer, and I sympathize with him for the loss of his people, including his poor sister."

"What's your point, Mr. Nihil?" Mizuki snarled.

"Aren't you a lively one," Nihil commented. He scanned the party of three. "Hmmmmm. Young lady, you're probably from Kamigawa, right? And you, elf lady... Zendikar? And the boy... perhaps Theros, or Bant."

Morrel stiffened. "Bant. What do you care?"

"Look at us all: united from across different worlds by our potential!" Nihil said broadly. "There's nothing else like it in all of creation! I'm appalled that you three, and this Veldor fellow, oppose Azrael. There's no need. There's no good or evil, only power. No more fighting is needed. Come with me, and I can prove that the best is yet to be."

Morrel didn't dare lower his mana aura, even if it did pale next to Nihil's intense one. "Azrael made an offer like that on Kamigawa," he said warily, "after Mizuki and I found the first Sphaera shard in a demoness' castle. I didn't trust him, and when Zoira found us, she showed us the _real_ story."

"Which is?" Nihil asked.

"That Azrael's artifact won't work! It'll destabilize the AEther and destroy even more than he lost!" Morrel barked. He clenched his fists. "Azrael's gone crazy from grief and guilt. His sister's memory capsule... there's no denying Kaida's message. I heard the conviction in her voice."

A few seconds' silence fell. A horse snorted somewhere.

"You poor boy," Nihil said with a barking laugh. "I do sympathize for Kaida's untimely demise, but she, too, stands to recover from the Sphaera Vitae! Why don't you try telling Azrael that he doesn't deserve the chance to see her again? Or the rest of his nation's people? And the Sphaera contains many other arcane secrets. It would be a _tragic_ waste to lose them if the device were not reconstructed."

"I saw what you did to Surrak," Zoira growled. "You're no creator or noble. Just a monster! I've seen men and women like you before, thinking that their power makes them right..."

"He was in the way," Nihil explained. "Elf lady, these primitive Temur wouldn't understand what's really going on here! Look past them. There is so much more to see and learn."

Morrel shook his head. "We won't. Not like _that_."

Rohkan glanced at Nihil. "I told you, Nihil. These buffoons are too wrapped up in their 'noble' cause. They've already stolen a shard on Innistrad! They captured Maretta! Obviously, they're not going to cooperate."

Nihil sighed. "You're sure, Rohkan? They won't see my reasoning?"

"Not at all. I've fought them on two separate occasions. Here, and all the way on Lorwyn. They're completely determined to get in the way."

"Fine." Nihil secured the Sphaera Vitae shard into his pants locket and buttoned it shut. He held out his right hand, palm out. His voice took on a horrible, cold, soulless edge. "I was afraid it would come to this. If you three want to die in vain, I'll arrange that."

White-black mana flowed down Nihil's arm, and purple flames gathered on his palm, seething as though desperate to escape.

He fired.

Morrel leaped out of the way just in time; heatless purple flames roared past him in a wide cone, and he tumbled to the snowy ground, muscles humming with his mana. He scrambled over to Mizuki and Zoira as the din of the flames filled his ears. "We must flee!" he cried. "Now!"

Meanwhile, Nihil turned his hand to redirect the flames at his opponents. This time, Zoira's phoenix gathered Zoira, Morrel, and Mizuki in its claws and hastily took to the air, straining at the load. The purple flames rushed beneath, narrowly missing their targets.

Zoira and Mizuki gathered their mana around them into mid-air planeswalking gates just as Nihil pointed his palm upwards. Morrel's vision was filled by furious purple flames rushing in to obliterate him -

All went black as Mizuki took him far away.

*o*o*o*o*

"Ooooof!"

Morrel and the others appeared in mid-air in Cae'Xan University's main hall, crumpling awkwardly to the smooth, metal floor. The phoenix cawed and glided in circles around Zoira until the elf dispelled it. Nearby, human and vedalken students gave the three visitors a wide berth, muttering to themselves and clutching their books and scrolls tightly to their chests.

"Damn it! That asshole!" Mizuki got to her feet, her face red with fury. "Nihil, was he? Talkin' like we were stupid! _He's_ the jackass killing everyone for Azrael!"

"I know." Zoira winced and got to her feet, too. "This is bad. Nihil got what he wanted, and he _knows_ that we've got our own Sphaera Vitae shard. He's bound to come after us now."

"Does he know about this university?" Morrel asked as Mizuki helped him up. "We should warn Veldor, just to be sure."

"Definitely. The dean should know where he is," Zoira said shakily. She nervously fiddled with one of her braided ponytails. "Follow me."

The dean, an older sphinx with gold, sapphire-studded rings on its paws, directed them to a private study in the north wing. They passed several platinum humanoids along the way, their swords held at the ready. Ignoring them, Zoira tentatively creaked open the door.

Books, chairs, and metal scrolls lay scattered everywhere as though blown by a strong wind. Veldor sat on the desk, face in his hands, his body lit by the cold Esper sun shining through the tall windows.

"V... Veldor?" Zoira crept toward him. "What happened? Look, we've got news. This new planeswalker, Nihil, he -"

"Someone was here." Veldor's voice was muffled behind his metal hands until he lifted his head. Something horrible glinted in his eyes. "Zoira, the university was robbed. Security golems are sweeping the place."

Zoira faltered. "Y... yeah, we saw a few on the way here."

"Did you lose your stuff?" Mizuki asked.

" _We_ lost something," Veldor croaked. "Zoira, Morrel, Mizuki... I failed. The university's intruder alarms went off and I went to go check on it. I thought it was another Grixis raiding party. I was wrong." He swallowed. "Our Sphaera Vitae shard is gone."

Morrel stumbled back. "How... who even knew it was here?" His brain reeled.

"Oh, _shit,_ " Mizuki breathed.

"What she means is," Zoira put in, "is that we, too, failed. Rohkan, and that man Nihil, they found the fourth Sphaera Vitae shard on Tarkir and took it. It's probably already in Azrael's hands."

"In that case," Veldor said grimly, "we may already be too late. The security gargoyles found no intruders from Grixis or the other shard-worlds. But they _did_ find strange probe creatures, definitely foreign. They left the plane shortly after the security teams completed their initial sweep. The current search is still underway, but may not turn anything up."

Morrel didn't know what to say. Veldor was clearly so distressed, he wasn't even using his obnoxious, clipped tone of superiority. Just a horrified man aghast at what had happened.

Veldor slid off the desk and approached his fellows. "But there is one more lead. I _did_ find Azrael's base of operations on Dominaria. An abandoned temple. Intact. Probably has intruder alarm enchantments, but little actual security. Clearly, Azrael relies on secrecy and his own prowess. Not unexpected."

The familiar gleam of intellectual bravado crept back into Veldor's eyes. "Found door in temple that may lead to basement storage. Sphaera Vitae shards likely in there. Therefore, priority now is to storm the temple and assess progress of Azrael's plans. Either one of his followers stole the shard here on Esper, or it was a third party whom Azrael will soon track down and rob. Same outcome. Sphaera Vitae will be fully assembled soon. Cannot allow that."

Zoira stepped closer to Veldor and put her hands on his Etherium shoulders. "I know, Veldor. We'll get it done. Just give us a few hours to rest up, and we'll follow your lead."

"Last chance to enforce planeswalker code," Veldor added. "Delicate procedure. We stand much to lose. Dual setback to our cause significant."

 _"Veldor._ Come on." Zoira leaned closer and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Don't lose hope. I haven't. You gonna make a bad impression on Morrel and Mizuki?"

There was a second of silence. Then, Mizuki clapped her hands together and beamed in spite of everything. "Finally!" she said. "Zoira, I _knew_ you had feelings for V -"

"That's enough. Focus!" Zoira snapped, going pink as she drew away from Veldor. "A _lot_ is at stake. You both know that. Nihil is probably even more powerful than Rohkan or Maretta. We'll need a counter-strategy to that purple flame."

Veldor tilted his head. "Elaborate."

"I'll give you a tactical summary, as you call it," Zoira said with a sigh, " _after_ we get some time alone. So...?" She glanced at Morrel and Mizuki.

"Yeah, sure." Mizuki grinned and took Morrel's hand, guiding him out of the study and down the hall.

Morrel glanced back at the study door as Zoira shut it. "You seem to be feeling better." He squeezed Mizuki's hand, reassured by her soft, warm skin. _I don't want to let her go._

"Don't get me wrong. I'm gonna kick Nihil's and Rohkan's sorry asses across the Multiverse," Mizuki said firmly, her gait turning more into a stomp. "But if Veldor really did find Azrael's base, that's our ticket to revenge. It's _something_."

"Careful, Mizuki." Morrel winced. "Revenge? We're not doing this for ourselves. We can't lose ourselves to anger or wrath."

Mizuki sighed wearily. "Yeah. I guess you have a point. But still... it would feel good to get back at Azrael, wouldn't it?"

"It... would definitely set me at ease once he's taken care of, one way or another," Morrel admitted. "I'm eager to settle this. By the planeswalker code, I can't let Azrael or Rohkan or Nihil run free."

Mizuki smiled. "There's that attitude I like in you. Keep it up."

"What, you don't think Bantians can be tough?"

"I've been around Bant. You guys meditate in pretty gardens and read musty old philosophy all day."

"You've never been in a sparring ring on the castle grounds."

"Sounds like I missed the good part."

"I miss a lot of things about Bant." Morrel smiled back.

"Then I'll put it back on my must-see list," Mizuki promised. "Now, come on."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Dining hall. I could use a bite. You?"

Morrel nodded. "Lead on."

He wondered, though, if any food would stay in his churning, tense stomach.


	30. One More Go-Around

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 30: One More Go-Around**

Morrel was stuffed from Cae'Xan University's dining hall (it was surprisingly accomodating for him and Mizuki), but as he lay in his borrowed dorm room's bed, he felt tension coiling in him like a spring. Outside the window, he heard Esper's cold oceans crashing against the granite and steel cliffs of Ot, and light from the carefully-arranged stars shone into his room.

The spring kept coiling.

So, Morrel slipped on his soft, black leather boots and strode through the quiet metal hallways, lit only by small blue-white crystal lanterns set along the upper walls. He pushed open a pair of ornately-carved brass doors and onto the largest balcony, the one with the best view of the campus.

He wasn't alone.

Mizuki stood at the balcony's polished balcony, casually leaning on it with her elbows, her freshly-washed hair tossed by a salty breeze. She started and turned around to face her friend. "Oh. Hey there."

"Good evening." Morrel faltered; should he just go back to bed? He'd meant to unwind alone here, but he couldn't just _tell_ her that...

Morrel compromised by putting his hands into his pockets and taking his side by Mizuki. He took in the mathematically-perfect campus and all its lights. "Funny to think that my home is so close," he said after a quiet minute. He swept his arm to encompass the panorama. "Someone could just ride a horse or thopter from here and reach Akrasa castle in just a few days."

Mizuki hummed to herself. "Not gonna bail on me, are you?" she teased him.

"No! I'd never." Morrel stiffened, pretending to be hurt. "You know that my _precious_ honor wouldn't let me."

"Yeah," Mizuki said lightly. Her face fell and she stood up straight. "Aren't enough people like that in the Multiverse."

"Why, you flatter me." Morrel smiled, and then he sobered, too. The air suddenly felt colder as he brought himself admit what was on his mind. "A small part of me still wants to, though. After what Nihil did..." He swallowed. "How can we fight someone like that? And if Azrael rebuilds his Sphaera Vitae -"

"Don't remind me." Mizuki poked her finger in Morrel's stomach. "Things are crappy enough already. But we've got a job to do, right? Just one more planar trip, one more go-around with the gang. You up to it?"

Morrel drew himself to his full height and straightened his glasses. "I am," he said, injecting a new note of confidence into his tone. He hoped that it worked for both of them. "I just... I couldn't relax. Sometimes it's best to confront your fears and lay them all down. Like pieces of a puzzle to solve. Rhox monks at home like to do that."

"Good point." Mizuki's eyes glanced away. "You know what, I'm pretty freaked, too. My arm..." She held up her left arm, flexing the fingers. The Esper moon shone on her flesh. "I can still feel Haijin-no-Imari's curse. If I do the Multiverse a good deed, I'm free. I remind myself of that every time I plunge into trouble with you and Zoira and Veldor. The old me... she wouldn't have bothered."

Mizuki smiled suddenly. "But I kinda like the new me you brought out of me. I've met other planeswalkers who try to do good, other than Zoira and Veldor. I used to laugh at them, but not now."

"I wouldn't mind meeting them, either. Who are they?" Morrel's imagination whirred in his mind. Was there another world like Bant out there, a place of law and justice?

Mizuki shrugged. "I didn't get their names. But I could definitely see the conviction in their eyes. It was so real." She blushed in the moonlight. "And I've seen it in _your_ eyes, too. It's... really something."

"Well, I try." Morrel tried to sound nonchalant, but he felt his heart race in his chest. "Tomorrow morning, I'll be there, and ready to help stop Azrael's madness. Whatever it takes."

"Me, too," Mizuki said, clearing her throat. "I'm _not_ afraid of him."

"I didn't say you were. I've seen you in action, you know..."

"Now you flatter _me_." Mizuki glanced over at Cae'Xan's campus again. "You know... even if we _do_ get this done, and my curse goes away, I won't be able to take you around the Multiverse anymore. I'm... gonna miss you."

Morrel's stomach lurched. "I've thought of that, too. It'll be hard to go back to the old life, the one without you."

"So..." Mizuki went a deeper shade of red, toying with a lock of her dark hair. "Why don't you stay out here with me a while? While we've still got the chance?"

"I'd love that." Without any further hesitation, Morrel gently cupped Mizuki's face in his hands, leaned over, and gave her a deep, longing kiss that seemed to last all night.

They finally broke, and Mizuki wiped her lips, unable to stop smiling. "Keep it up, lover boy, and I won't ever let you go."

"But after this quest, I'll be stuck on Bant." Morrel took Mizuki's right hand in both of his. "We have separate lives. We've got to live them, you know."

"Well... I'll see." Mizuki's eyes were full of mischief.

Morrel frowned. "What's _that_ mean?"

"I had an idea. If I get the chance, I'll show you. _Much_ later. It's a secret."

"I... all right."

Mizuki leaned over and pecked Morrel's cheek. "You got it. Now, let's just shut up and relax a bit. Got a big day tomorrow."

"You're telling _me_."

They didn't talk anymore as they absorbed Cae'Xan university's calming campus. A few times, Morrel opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. What else could he say?

It was sometime until Mizuki slunk off to return to bed. Some time after that, Morrel abandoned the balcony.

*o*o*o*o*

Morrel braced himself as he felt his mana, body, and mind crushed into a singularity in an alien void as Mizuki took him from Esper the next morning. He felt his mind fade to black -

A glaring, hot sun bore down on him as he snapped his eyes open. Morrel coughed on the rusty dust that floated on the wind. His eyes watered. "Where -?"

"Dominaria. Like I explained earlier," Veldor said curtly as his white-blue-black planeswalking gate vanished behind him. His cape fluttered behind him. "Central plane of Multiverse. May not have been the first to hold that position, however, based on my extraplanar research -"

"What he means to say is," Zoira said, slapping a hand on Veldor's Etherium right shoulder, "that we're right in the thick of things. Take the lead, Veldor." She then turned and coughed into the crook of her arm. "So dusty..."

"Follow me. Be careful, and do not give yourselves away," Veldor said, setting off. Morrel kept close to him and the others as they went.

 _So this plane... this is really the central one? It seems so... dead!_ Morrel felt dismay chill his mind as he took in the place. The ground was nothing more than dry, war-blasted dirt and sand, with countless pieces of buildings and advanced artifacts sticking out, half-buried in the earth. Black scorch marks and crooked gouges were like giant scars, and the air felt not just dry, but exhausted somehow. The wind was like a defeated, pained sigh.

What _happened_ here?

Veldor wound his way around the base of a ruined scout tower and motioned for the others to follow him carefully. Quietly, the Esper man carved a path behind pieces of metal and rock, angling toward a brick-shaped temple with a sloping roof and stained glass windows. The temple was in pristine condition, an odd contrast with the ravaged landscape. Its windows were the only real color around here.

"That's the place?" Mizuki asked tentatively as Veldor drew nearer, still hopping from cover to cover.

"Azrael probably keeps Sphaera shards in the basement," Veldor said quietly. "Unlikely that we can obtain them without detection. Need to scout further before taking action."

Mizuki nodded. "After you, I guess."

Morrel swallowed in a dry throat. _Stay steady..._

As he approached the temple with Veldor, Morrel felt it: a powerful but subtle aura of all five colors of mana radiating from that pristine temple, humming with life-force. So, Azrael was already channeling the magic of the Sphaera Vitae... how much time was left?

Veldor stopped behind a scrap of sheet metal and peeked around the corner at the temple's shut front doors. "Several possibilities for approach," Veldor muttered. "Number one -"

"Number one, leave this plane."

Morrel felt a thrill of horror as he saw Nihil position himself among the four visitors, hands in his pants pockets. The blond man grinned smugly.

"You!" Morrel fired up his green-white-blue mana aura and leaped back, fists clenched, body poised in a martial stance. Nearby, Mizuki, Veldor, and Zoira fired up their own auras, their magic at the ready, surrounding Nihil from a short distance.

Nihil looked at each of them in turn. "Actually, _don't_ leave. You'll miss the show! Azrael's about ready to bring out the Sphaera Vitae, once it's fully fused together. He's already started the process, you see. Only a mind like his can repair that thing..."

"It's not _really_ too late," Zoira snarled, fire sizzling on her hands. "All we have to do is take out you buffoons and take that Sphaera somewhere no one will get their hands on it. Easy."

"Easy? Tell that to... well, me," Nihil taunted her. He fired up his own mana aura, sickening waves of white-black mana radiating from where he stood. The very ground buckled under his feet.

Morrel winced and stumbled back. There it was again, that twisted, alien mana aura that Nihil had given off on Tarkir. Just what _was_ he, really?

Nihil's smug grin broadened.

Mizuki gave off an incoherent yell and fully manifested her arm's curse. She pointed her clawed finger at Nihil and charged her mana, an intense ball gathering at the claw tip. She released it in a destructive blast.

In a blur, Nihil glided out of the way as Mizuki's mana blast blew a wide cone of destruction across the already-blasted landscape, the ground shuddering from the pressure.

At that same instant, Zoira conjured a wide ring of red mana, from which her dragon emerged. Grabbing the dragon's left paw, Zoira climbed onto the beast's back and guided it in an upward spiral to find a good firing position.

"Morrel, on me!" Veldor called out. He hurried over to the Bantian, his liquid Etherium left arm elongating into a sword from the elbow down.

Morrel covered Veldor's exposed back while Zoira covered Mizuki from overhead on her dragon. The rusty wind picked up, howling past the charred wreckage.

Nihil reappeared in another blur, finally drawing his hands from his pockets. He thrust out his hands, and cords of white mana snaked out.

Morrel leaped out of the way and threw up a white-blue mana barrier just in time; two of Nihil's cords bounced off, but the pressure shattered Morrel's shield into jagged pieces.

Meanwhile, three more cords seized Veldor's right arm and leg, wrenching the Esper man onto the ground. More cords tangled themselves around him, and Veldor thrashed against them, clawing at the ground with his mismatched hands.

Zoira's dragon roared as it swooped down. It issued a long jet of white-hot flames from its open jaws, and Nihil braced himself with his arms, white-black mana humming on his skin.

Then, Mizuki thrust out her hands and conjured six black mana tendrils that shot out and speared themselves at Nihil, their mana spitting and sparking in the flames.

The combined mana cleared, and Nihil stood there, his clothes and skin singed, the man breathing harder. His white mana cords went slack.

"That's enough!" Nihil barked. He tugged on the slack mana cords and drew Veldor toward him with one hand, poising his other hand high with purple flames gathering on the palm.

Morrel tensed. _That all-consuming flame!_ Hastily, he knelt and placed his hands onto the ground, flooding his tri-colored mana across the dirt toward Nihil.

Crystals climbed up Nihil's legs, locking him in place and compressing his mana. The man snarled and wrenched at the bindings. The crystals started to crack -

Veldor wasted no time. The Esper man slashed at the mana cords and severed them after a few hacks, and scrambled to his feet. He dashed madly toward Nihil and brought down his sword-arm in a graceful arc, metal flashing through the air.

Blood soaked into Nihil's long-sleeved white shirt as Veldor's liquid Etherium blade scored a long, vertical slash across his chest. Just as quickly, Veldor morphed his blade-arm into a long hook and lunged at Nihil with it.

Nihil finally broke Morrel's crystals and dispelled his mana cords. He ducked out of harm's way and leaped to the side, sparing his neck from Veldor's hook-hand. But the hook scored a gash on Nihil's right shoulder, drawing more blood. Skin ripped noisily on Nihil's brawny shoulder.

"Not bad, Esper man," Nihil said, panting as he clapped a hand to his bad shoulder. "That arm..."

Veldor brandished the hook-arm. "Poly-morphous liquid Etherium alloy appendage," he specified. "Live demonstration not yet concluded. Watch." He lunged again, Zoira's dragon preparing to fire another fire jet to back him up -

Four fireballs arced through the air and crashed into the side of Zoira's dragon. The scaly beast screeched in anger and rolled to the side, aborting its attack on Nihil. This gave Nihil his chance to leap away from Veldor's attack.

A familiar vedalken strode onto the battlefield, his four swords already drawn, leftover red mana smoking at the points. "You're all here. Good," Rohkan called out over the desolate winds. "That makes this convenient. Chasing you rats across the Multiverse gets tiring."

Mizuki scowled. "Shoulda figured _you'd_ show your face."

"If it isn't Rohkan!" Nihil said cheerily, but Morrel knew that Nihil had been counting on the support. "What do you say, friend? Five minutes? After that, Azrael should get the peace and quiet he needs to finish the project."

"Make it three, Nihil," Rohkan said.

"Deal." Nihil charged up purple flames on his hands. "I'm done testing the waters, intruders. Let's finish this charade already."

Morrel bared his teeth as Mizuki and Veldor took up positions on either side of him. "Come and get us!"


	31. The Thing Underneath

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 31: The Thing Underneath**

 _Rohkan hasn't fused his swords together yet,_ Morrel noted, fists clenched at his sides, his mana aura still humming around him. He squinted in the harsh Dominaria sunlight. _Pretty confident. Or maybe he wants to save the mana?_

Morrel turned to Veldor. "What do you think? Concentrate on one of them to isolate the other? Or engage them both?"

Veldor studied his two opponents. "Suppress Rohkan," he said. "Present me with an opening, and I can stun him."

Mizuki flexed her cursed fingers. "You better deliver, Veldor. Here they come!"

Rohkan crouched, then sprang on his strong legs. He quickly covered the distance between him and the party of three, his four swords held at the ready. In a blur, the vedalken slashed his blades in a complex pattern, flashing in the sunlight. Dust was kicked up under the pressure, partly obscuring Rohkan's assault.

Morrel leaped back, green-white mana pumping through his muscles as he waited for an opening. Meanwhile, Veldor formed his left arm into a standard-size sword from the elbow down, and in a flare of white-blue-black mana, he directly faced Rohkan's blistering assault. Metal clanged on metal at a dizzying speed, Veldor's arm weaving through the air faster than Morrel could track with his eyes.

Then, Veldor's liquid Etherium blade arm snared two of Rohkan's swords and knocked them away. For just a split second, Rohkan's chest was exposed. Veldor swiped his blade-arm through the air.

Red blood sprayed as Veldor's blow sliced Rohkan's chest open from the neck to navel.

"Not bad, metal man," Rohkan grunted, backing up a step, his sweat-streaked face scrunched with pain and anger. Already, nurturing green mana welled up in his horrible wound, starting to draw the flesh together and seal the blood vessels.

Veldor leaped in to finish his opponent, as did Mizuki.

Morrel saw red mana flowing on Rohkan's swords. "GET BACK!" he shouted.

Four close-range fireballs blasted Veldor and Mizuki away, and only Morrel's last-second blue-white barriers staved off the worst of it. Still, Veldor and Mizuki were thrown onto their backs from the sheer force, their clothes and skin smoking.

Rohkan rounded on Morrel. "What's the matter, boy? Won't face me directly?"

He charged.

Overhead, Zoira's dragon swooped down to intercept. Its long, thick tail swiped through the air and knocked Rohkan aside, and the beast released a jet of seething flame to incinerate him.

Nihil was already on the scene, his right arm extended, palm out. His purple flames gathered on the skin.

Just as the dragon's fire jet arced through the air, Nihil's purple flames rushed out to intercept. Red, white, and black mana clashed in midair in a wave of sizzling mana.

The dragon's flames vanished.

Morrel stared. "What the...?"

"My flames can erase _anything_ from existence," Nihil boasted, glancing at Morrel over his shoulder. "Solid matter, flame, gases, mana, anything at all. All things in the Multiverse succumb to my power."

Mizuki snuck closer to Nihil from the side, claws flexing.

She leaped.

"Whoa!" Nihil stumbled back as Mizuki's pounce brought her right before him. Her claws raked his chest and tore four deep gouges into his skin, shredding his shirt and vest. Yelling wildly, she sank a punch right into his chest.

 _Good one!_ Morrel charged on Nihil, mana seething. At the corner of his vision, he saw Veldor get to his feet and stand to keep Rohkan at bay. This was his chance!

Nihil grinned at Mizuki. "Bad idea, missy."

His punch connected with a sickening _thump_ and sent Mizuki flying. She tumbled across the sun-blasted sand.

 _Bastard!_ Morrel channeled his blue mana, aware of his dwindling inner charge. But it was worth it.

Time slowed around him, everything moving as though deep underwater. Ahead, Nihil turned to face Morrel slowly, his arms nowhere near in position to block Morrel's incoming blow.

Morrel's mana-charged left fist shot out and slammed into Nihil's wounds. He saw the man's flesh ripple and buckle under the pressure, and Nihil's expression changed to shock and fury very gradually to Morrel's eyes. Then, Morrel crouched and swept his leg out with all his might. His booted foot caught Nihil's right knee, throwing the bigger man off balance.

Finally, Morrel delivered another punch that sent the off-balance Nihil onto his back, bleeding everywhere.

With a gasp of sudden fatigue, Morrel undid the time dilation spell, huffing as he watched Nihil lay there on the dry dirt. "Don't touch Mizuki again," he grated.

Nihil paused for a second, then burst out laughing and sprang to his feet. He tore off his shirt and vest, crumpled them up, and tossed them aside. "Nicely done, battlemage. You might have the most spirit out of you four. So, I'll have to crush you first."

Nihil sprang.

Once again, Zoira brought her dragon down to bear, the beast slashing with its claws. This time, Nihil threw up a hand and conjured his long, thin cords of white mana. The cords wrapped around the dragon's front legs and tightened on them. Nihil gave a tug, and he sent the dragon crashing awkwardly to the ground, and Zoira tumbled off its back and onto the bare ground.

Morrel took an automatic step back. _What strength!_

Too late. Nihil was already on him, and Morrel's mind dissolved into white-hot pain as Nihil sank a terrific punch to the chest. Morrel was lifted clear off his booted feet and flew two dozen feet away, right toward a cluster of metallic wreckage. Even his last-second white-blue mana barrier barely softened the blow, and his head rang as he collided with the metal through his barrier. Stunned, he crumpled to the ground on his stomach, his glasses askew, his breath coming in pained gasps.

Through his hazy vision, Morrel saw the shirtless Nihil striding toward him, walking past the stunned dragon toward his target. Nihil extended his left palm, purple flames charging as he advanced. The spell glowed brighter as it reached maximum charge -

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Mizuki sprinted across the harsh, dry ground, her dark hair whipping through the air, her face twisted with fury. She threw out her cursed arm and conjured a handful of tendrils, all composed of black mana.

The tendrils snaked through the air, quick as an arrow. Two of them knocked Nihil's spell arm to the side, and the purple flames raged through empty air. They didn'ts stop until they washed over the ruins of a brick building. When they vanished, only smooth, featureless ground was left.

Meanwhile, the other tendrils knocked Nihil aside and pierced him all over his torso, and one in his left thigh as well. Nearby, Mizuki charged up her black mana at her fingertip, her body shaking from fatigue, her chest heaving. But she didn't let up.

The black mana fired in a wide cone, right at Nihil. Only a last-second blast of purple flames saved him from being blasted across the battlefield, and once the vivid clash of mana faded, Nihil scrambled to his feet.

"You... impetuous child!" Nihil snarled at Mizuki. His skin was burnt in patches, his body covered in nasty wounds. He had long since lost his air of confident, masculine charm, replaced by demonif fury. "Maybe I'll kill _you_ first instead?"

In a blur of motion, Veldor feinted and distracted Rohkan for a few precious seconds. The Esper man leaped right at Nihil, his cape fluttering in the hot, dry air. His liquid Etherium left arm extended and formed a clawed hand not unlike Mizuki's, its claws more like knives than anything. With a surge of white-blue-black mana, Veldor slashed right down at the preoccupied Nihil.

From his vantage point on the ground, Morrel felt a flare of hope as Veldor's claws tore at Nihil's flesh, from his forehead, to his chest, to his abdomen. Blood soaked the sandy earth as the horrible sound of tearing flesh filled Morrel's ears.

Nihil brought up his arm to punch Veldor away, but he was too slow. Veldor reformed his liquid left arm into a somewhat oversized fist and delivered a blow like a battering ram.

Rohkan, Mizuki, Morrel, and Zoira watched, stunned, as Nihil was thrown onto his back in a confused, bleeding heap. For a second, the man didn't move. Not even to breathe.

Then, Morrel gasped as Nihil's noxious white-black mana aura assumed a new feel. Something... cold, metallic, sterile. It even smelled a bit like the antiseptic liquids he'd smelled when going to a low-level Bant healer. He'd know that pungent, chemical smell anywhere. Did Nihil have a self-healing spell taking effect?

Then, Nihil stirred. He pushed off the ground and got to his feet, wobbling as though drunk. The strange, metallic mana aura intensified, overwhelming the white-black one.

Morrel flinched when the dust cleared and he got a good look at Nihil.

"That... was a real haymaker, my metal friend," Nihil spat. His voice had gone as metallic as his mana aura. And Morrel could clearly see why.

Half of Nihil's face had been blown off from the sheer pressure of Mizuki's and Veldor's blows. But it wasn't bone underneath. A shiny chrome skull leered back at Morrel and the others, dark reddish-black muscle woven into it. Black liquid oozed from the hybrid metal-flesh.

Patches of Nihil's chest had been similarly exposed. Chrome bones and flesh coated with that black oily liquid showed through his wounds, and Morrel even saw thin tubes like blood vessels running along his body, all carrying that dark oil.

Veldor sent stiff. "Your body... your skin was a disguise? Permeated with a superficial mana aura?"

"That's right," Nihil said, his metal teeth clicking. "I can't believe it. I had _hoped_ to kill you losers without getting my real self exposed. Too late now."

"Nihil!" Rohkan demanded, taking a step closer. "What's the meaning of this? You're no human! I've visited Ravnica myself, and there's no such being as you on that world."

Nihil sighed. "You all can sense my real mana aura, can't you? Fine. Might as well flaunt it."

To Morrel's horror, Nihil started grabbing fistfuls of his face and chest and tore at his skin. The last of his white-black mana aura vanished, and patches of skin littered the hot dirt at Nihil's feet.

From the waist up, Nihil stood proud, a chrome skeleton with oily muscle and oil tubes interwoven with the metal. His eyeballs were now orbs of white mana glowing in the metal sockets, his lipless mouth stuck in a skeleton's grin. His mana aura was even clearer now, metallic and tinged with sterile blue mana, more noxious than anuything Morrel had sensed.

Morrel's stomach churned as he got to his feet. He swayed where he stood. "Veldor, Mizuki, Zoira... got any ideas?"

Nearby, Zoira's dragon growled and tore up the white mana cords that bound its legs. The scaly beast allowed Zoira to climb onto its back, then took to the air with a great flap of its wings. "Why not blow this freak apart?" Zoira called down. "Seems like a good plan to me!"

"Yeah, what Zoira said," Mizuki added, holding her cursed arm into a ready position. "I dunno what the _hell_ Nihil is, but if we work together -"

"About that," Nihil cut in. "You won't get the chance."

In a blur, Nihil positioned himself right before Veldor, faster than the Esper man could react to.

Nihil's bony, metal left hand thrust itself right through Veldor's chest, breaching the Etherium with a crunch of metal on metal.

Veldor seized as Nihil's hand crushed the white-blue-black sphere of mana that kept his body alive.

As soon as Nihil drew his hand out, Veldor collapsed before him, his face blank. His mana aura was totally gone.

Dead.

Zoira let out a wild yell and ordered her dragon to the attack. The beast issued a jet of flame.

Nihil vaulted out of harm's way and let the flames hit the ground, fusing it into a patch of thick glass instead.

"That's one," Nihil declared. "Rohkan, let's finish these intruders off before -"

"Don't listen to him, Rohkan!" came a man's voice.

Morrel stared as a familiar man with long red hair and princely features emerged from the temple. He wore his usual studded leather armor and cape. "Rohkan, stand down!"

Rohkan turned to regard Azrael, his face slack with confusion. "Azrael? Is he not to be trusted? Do you know what he is? Because I don't."

Azrael had gone pale as he took in Nihil's true form. "I... sensed his new mana aura from the temple basement," he said with incredulity. "It's the same... as that day..."

Nihil's skull-like head glared back at Azrael. "What do you mean? Azrael, I apologize if I kept this from hidden from you -"

"Don't lie, Nihil!" Azrael shouted. He jabbed an accusing finger at the hybrid monstrosity. "You've got the same aura as those monsters that destroyed my home city! Some of them looked very much like you!"

Nihil waved a dismissive hand. "Now, there's no need for such foolishness -"

"You're no ally of mine!" Azrael bellowed. "You're my enemy, Nihil! I won't let you near my Sphaera Vitae! It''s because of _you_ and your kind my sister and I built it in the first place!"

A thick silence fell for a few seconds.

Nihil put a hand over his heart, or where a heart would be. "Fine. I see that you're convinced, Azrael. I serve Jin-Gitaxias, praetor of the Progress Engine. He would _love_ to have the Sphaera Vitae in his hands, and I'll be sure to deliver it. Thank you for reassembling it for me. If you'll step aside?"

Azrael's voice raised to a hysterical pitch. "You think I'll surrender it?!"

"You sure as hell won't _stop_ me," Nihil argued. "Unless you want the slaughter of your home nation to be finished right here, right now?" He pointed a skeletal chrome finger at the temple. "Get me the Sphaera Vitae. Now."

Azrael's chest rose and fell as he panted in his rage and horror. He turned to Rohkan. "Help Zoira and the others to dismatle this butcher. Keep him away from the Sphaera Vitae."

Rohkan nodded and put his swords together, preparing to fuse them. By now, his chest had fully healed, his eyes spitting fire. "As you say, Azrael."


	32. Pity the Lost

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 32: Pity the Lost**

"Rohkan, Rohkan..." Nihil said with a theatrical sigh. "You're really siding with Zoira and the others against me? Don't you realize the opportunity that you're throwing away? With the Sphaera Vitae in Jin-Gitaxias' hands, you could reap the -"

"Azrael believes in something," Rohkan cut in. His mana-infused swords started to meld together. "You're just a tool for this Jin-Gitaxias!" His eyes narrowed. "Where are you _really_ from?"

"Why do you ask?"

Rohkan brandished his fused-together gold sword. "So I know where to go to wipe out the rest of your kind!"

Nihil laughed. "Nice try. You're from Mirrodin, aren't you? I can tell by your looks. Well, guess what... the plane has been made _compleat,_ and so have I! New Phyrexia is my home now."

"What..." Rohkan stumbled back, eyes wide. "Mirrodin... what happened there?"

"You must've been away for a while," Nihil said viciously. "It was over in a matter of weeks. The plane is ours now. The five factions have their differences, yes... but it's all for Phyrexia. Why don't you go and see? Everyone you knew is dead or mutated!"

"Impossible!" Rohkan hissed. His sword lowered, his body trembling. "Not all those people...!"

"I've heard enough crap," Zoira called down from her dragon. "I'll take the lead. Back me up!"

Morrel charged up what was left of his mana and set his jaw. What new tricks would the freakish Nihil have in store for them?

With a roar, Zoira's dragon arced through the sky in a rush of claws and flame.

Nihil turned just as Zoira's dragon came bearing down on him. His grinning, metal skull seemed to hesitate for just a split second.

A long, sharp needle extended from Nihil's right wrist, supported by complex-looking chrome machinery covered in tubes of blue liquid. Nihil sprang to meet the dragon, putting himself right before the beast's fiery maw as it prepared its fire breath.

Nihil seized the dragon's lower jaw with his left hand and swung on it, positioning himself right at its exposed throat. He jabbed his massive needle at the scales.

"No!" Morrel threw out his hand and conjured a white-blue mana barrier. No good; Nihil's needle punched right through it and pierced the dragon's throat. Blue liquid gurgled through the machinery's tubes, the chrome assembly clicking and whirring.

At once, Zoira's dragon yowled and sagged in the air, beating its wings desprately to stay aloft. Its fire went out and it sprawled belly-first onto Dominaria's sun-blasted dirt ground, limbs splayed out. Its eyelids drooped, a defeated grunt coming from deep in its throat.

The skeletal Nihil sprang back, admiring his handiwork. "That numbing dose should keep it out of the fight nicely," he commented. "A special, concentrated solution, just for you."

Zoira hopped off her lethargic dragon and waved a hand, unsummoning it. "You..." she snarled. She prepared her arms for another summon -

Nihil sprinted after her and swung his bony left fist. His metal and flesh hand swiped right through Zoira's summoner flames and thumped on her skull. The elf lady was sent tumbling away in a heap, dazed.

Mizuki charged. "Don't you touch her!" Black mana flared around her cursed arm.

"Mizuki, wait!" Morrel cried, but it was no good; Mizuki was consumed by what looked like both fury and desperation. Her demon curse must have compelled her to destroy all threats without hesitation.

Nihil whirled around to meet Mizuki, his white mana eyes pitiless in their metal sockets. He lowered himself slightly to brace himself, then extended his open left palm.

More white mana cords sprouted from his hand and swirled all around Mizuki, trying to wrap themselves around her arms and legs. Mizuki's claws tore a few apart, but more kept coming, and she was sent sprawling as cords tied themselves around her ankles. She skidded to a halt at Nihil's booted feet, wriggling desperately.

Morrel charged after her, and threw up another mana barrier to buy Mizuki time. However, Nihil shattered it with a single punch and jabbed his needle into Mizuki's neck. More blue liquid churned through his right arm's tubing, the chrome clicking as though purring in delight.

"What a fascinating maiden," Nihil said, scooping up the cord-bound, numb Mizuki. He slumped her over his oily metal-and-muscle shoulder. His skull head leered at Morrel, metal teeth clicking. "This arm... its curse will prove for good study."

Morrel drew closer to Nihil in his mad rush, but what could he do? His mana barriers were too flimsy, and he didn't relish the idea of punching hard chrome... but seeing Zoira sprawled on the hot ground, and Mizuki slumped like a sack of grain over Nihil's shoulder... he couldn't stop.

Nihil tilted his head as he studied his opponent. Then, he apparently decided to just end it. He held out his left palm again, purple flames gathering.

Green-white mana buzzed in Morrel's muscles as blood thundered in his ears. If he could knock aside Nihil's arm... was there time?

The purple flames issued from Nihil's palm -

Three thick ribbons of plasma-like, red-green mana snaked through the air and smacked Nihil's arm aside. The purple flames raced through empty air.

"Rohkan!" Nihil snarled, just as the three ribbons arced around and punched right into Nihil's chest. The metal man was thrown hard onto his back, Mizuki tumbling away and out of his reach.

Morrel regarded the vedalken swordsman. "Good one."

"I... what he told me... it can't be true," Rohkan said in a daze. "My home can't be gone! He must have come right from hell!"

"Don't listen to what he says. He's trying to break your will," Morrel told him. "It's why you hesitated to strike him. Just help us!"

Rohkan swallowed and flourished his gold sword. "Very well, boy. I'll lead the charge. Get your allies back into the fight."

And with that, Rohkan broke into a sprint.

Nihil clamored to his feet just as Rohkan bore down on him. He issued another jet of purple flames, and in response, Rohkan slammed his three mana ribbons on the ground, acting as springs. The ribbons flung Rohkan high into the air and over the flames, and the vedalken landed right by Nihil's side. With a mighty swing, Rohkan drew his gold blade right across Nihil's chest, throwing up sparks and the loud screech of metal on metal.

Nihil stumbled back, a shallow gash across his chest leaking oil. "I suppose it's your turn!" the metal man snarled. He launched a furious series of punches at Rohkan with his mismatched arms, and it was all Rohkan could do to block the assault. Morrel watched for a second as both men scored nasty wounds on each other, bleeding either blood or black oil.

Snapping himself out of it, Morrle hurried to Mizuki and grabbed a handful of the mana cords. He imbued them with his green-white-blue mana, and the resulting crystals severed the cords. Mizuki groaned and coughed, her eyes closed. "M-Morrel..."

"Can you stand?" Morrel took hold of Mizuki's shoulders, propping her up again. But she collapsed when he let go, and didn't say another word.

 _No!_ Morrel leaned over and pressed his ear to Mizuki's chest. He heard her heart beat normally, but her skin was going cold and her breaths were shallow. Just what was in that noxious liquid?

Zoira!

Morrel reluctantly left Mizuki and hurried over to the Zendikari elf as she got to her booted feet, rubbing her head. "Zoira!" Morrel cried. "You have medicinal plants and nectars, right? Mizuki needs one! Anything you've got!"

Zoira blinked and took in the sight of Rohkan and Nihil's furious duel. "What happened? Did Nihil inject -?"

"Yeah. Same thing as your dragon," Morrel said in a rush. "Please hurry! We need her!"

"Right." Zoira sprinted back to Mizuki's side with Morrel and knelt by the prone girl. She drew a handful of dark red leaves and berries from a pouch on her utility belt. "These are from the blood-leaf plant," she explained, stuffing them into Mizuki's mouth. "Should boost her inner vitality." She worked Mizuki's jaw to chew the plants, then stuffed them down Mizuki's throat.

Mizuki took a deeper breath, but she only made a faint gurgle deep in her throat, her fingers twitching. Her eyes rolled restlessly under their lids.

Morrel turned to Zoira. "What else?"

Zoira licked her lips. "That was a strong dosage. Anything else could -"

"We don't have much to lose, Zoira. We can't take Nihil alone."

"I..." Zoira glanced over at the duel with Morrel. Rohkan was taking a beating, his inner green mana lagging behind the many wounds Nihil inflicted. Not even Rohkan's mana ribbons could keep Nihil back.

Zoira swallowed. "Okay. _This_ is the nectar of the yellow-wort blossom, native to the Ondu continent." She held out a small vial of pale green liquid. "Combined with the blood-leaf plant... I don't envy Mizuki." With that, she uncorked the vial and poured all its contents down Mizuki's throat.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, Mizuki started seizing, clenching her jaw and beating her fists on the hot ground.

"Mizuki!" Morrel reached out to help her -

"No!" Zoira held back Morrel's hands. "You could hurt her and yourself like that. There's nothing else to do."

 _Mizuki..._ Morrel got to his feet and backed away a step, fighting the helpless feeling that gripped his brain. _How did it come to this?_

There was a loud clang, and Morrel turned to see Nihil knock Rohkan's sword from his hands and kick the vedalken away.

Nihil glanced around: first at the fallen Rohkan, then the observing Azrael, then to Zoira, Morrel, and Mizuki. "I can hardly bear to watch!" he called out. "You're all fighting for the wrong reasons. I pity you all. You're completely lost. And so was I, until the Progress Engine found me and made me _compleat."_ He ran his metal hands over his body, not touching the wounds that Rohkan had inflicted.

"I remember it," Nihil went on. "I was born an ordinary man in the Auriok tribe. Such a pointless life I led, until the Phyrexians came. When they changed me..." He ran his hands over his face. "My Spark activated, and I found myself on another world. But it wasn't a gift to keep to myself! It was all for Jin-Gitaxias. I owe him so much."

Azrael stamped a foot. "You're not taking home _anything_ for that bastard! Rohkan! You three! Help me, and we'll finish him! Whatever it takes!"

"You?" Nihil taunted. "What could _you_ possibly -"

In a blur of blue-black mana, Azrael positioned himself right before Nihil, no fear in the red-haired man's eyes. Just fury.

Azrael seized Nihil's oversized needle assembly with both hands and crushed it into scrap. He threw the pieces aside.

"I'll do _that_ ," Azrael snarled.

Then, his right fist came out and delivered a terrific punch to Nihil's metal skull face.

Nihil stumbled back, a hand over his face in shock. "Since when did _you_ fight you own battles?" he snapped. He didn't get another word out before Azrael kept up the assault, rattling Nihil's whole body with heavy blows.

"That's ENOUGH!" Nihil knocked aside one of Azrael's punches and kicked him away with a booted foot. The metal man trembled where he stood, his metal and flesh chest dented and partly caved in. More black oil bled from his muscles.

Then, from behind, Rohkan loomed over Nihil, his green mana sealing his wounds.

The vedalken seized Nihil's head with all four hands and twisted. Hard.

Muscle tore and chrome assembly pieces crunched as Rohkan broke Nihil's neck. The half-machine, half-man collapsed in a heap at Rohkan's sandaled feet.

Morrel stared. "Whoa. Rohkan, that was -"

"What he deserved," Rohkan spat, kicking Nihil's prone form. "Azrael, are you all right - ARGH!"

Nihil sprang to his feet, his head twisting back into position. At the same time, he took hold of Rohkan's head with both metal, oily hands.

"Nice try, blue bastard," Nihil wheezed, his body trembling and bleeding oil. He wrenched Rohkan's head all the way backwards.

This time, it was Rohkan who collapsed, and Morrel sensed the vedalken's mana aura fade to nothing, his life force gone. Not even his green mana would save him now.

Nihil rounded on the other four. "Had enough yet? Give me that Sphaera Vitae, Azrael! Stop stalling!"

Zoira summoned a wreath of flame, and her phoenix emerged. "Not yet," she wheezed. "We can't abandon the Planeswalker Code. For the sake of duty... we'll stand against you!"

Nearby, Azrael clamored to his feet, wincing at his bruised chest. "Code?" he repeated faintly.

"The code to scour the Multiverse for dangers like Nihil," Morrel said firmly, "and _end_ them."

As he spoke, he thought he saw Mizuki's left fingers start to curl into a fist.


	33. Stories of the Multiverse

**ACROSS THE WORLDS**

By Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 33: Stories of the Multiverse**

"A code? You don't say," Nihil said lightly. He shrugged. "I don't really care, actually. Azrael! This is your last chance."

Azrael clamored to his feet, his red hair askew. "I'll sooner die than indulge you, freak. Whatever it takes to stop you." He balled his hands into fists, blue-black mana coursing across his skin.

"This is getting tedious," Nihil complained, surveying his four opponents. "Who should I start with? How about... you?"

He locked his white mana eyes onto Morrel. In a blur, he dashed across the sun-baked dirt.

Morrel dropped and rolled away as Nihil's left metal fist came swinging down. The earth buckled and cracked under the pressure of his knuckles, and the metal man whirled to pursue his target. He held out a hand -

Zoira shouted and pointed. Her phoenix soared through the air at Nihil, beak open as flames charged in its mouth. It spat a jet of roaring flame.

Nihil leaped to the side and allowed the fire jet to scorch the earth, but already, Azrael had taken advantage of the distraction. The red-haired man kicked Nihil's knee with a booted foot to cripple him, then sank a hard punch into the metal man's chest, then another. A right hook connected to Nihil's jaw and knocked his head to the side.

"Good one!" Morrel charged and, with green-white mana humming on his left fist, delivered a thunderous punch to Nihil's midriff.

Nihil stumbled back, doubling over. "Not so fast, whelps!" he snarled. He threw out both hands, and this time, he cast his spell. White mana cords whipped through the air and snared themselves around Morrel and Azrael's wrists. With a tug, Nihil sent both of them slamming into the ground.

 _Not this again!_ Morrel tugged at the cords, but the ethereal bonds refused to break. His head pounded and his muscles burned as he fought to free himself, Nihil stalking ever closer.

Nihil kicked Azrael aside, then seized Morrel by the throat and lifted him to eye level. It occured to Morrel just how tall Nihil was.

"How does a lad like you find himself so far from home?" Nihil taunted Morrel, shoving his chrome face close. From here, Morrel could smell the tangy, metallic odor of Nihil's fibrous muscles and black oil.

"It... f-feels good," Morrel choked out. "Knowing th-that I get a chance to... beat the hell out of bastards like you. Nothing l-like you on Bant."

"Bant?" Nihil repeated. "A worthless plane. Not even worth conquering."

Morrel scrabbled at Nihil's metallic hands. "L-like you could anyway!" His vision started to dim -

Morrel squeezed his eyes shut and winced as a plume of raging flames washed over Nihil's head and shoulders. He heard the caw of Zoira's phoenix, and elation filled his pain-choked mind. _Yes!_

Nihil's grip slackened only slightly, but Morrel took his chance and pounded the Phyrexian's ribs and felt Nihil let go. Morrel dropped and backed away as Zoira's phoenix circled around Nihil, spitting more globs of flame onto its target.

Morrel strained against the white mana cords again, but they still refused to yield. He saw Azrael struggling against his own bonds, but he had no more success. Straining with the cords, Morrel limped over to Zoira. "Do something! Got a knife? I can charge it with mana."

"NO!" Nihil's metallic voice roared. He charged through the phoenix's bombardment, arms crossed to shield his face. His oil-soaked muscles smoked and smouldered from the flames.

Zoira backed away and motioned to recall her phoenix, but Nihil was already charging purple flames on his hand -

Mizuki howled and scrambled to her feet, her sweat-damp black hair askew over her face. "Get away!" she roared, and accentuated her point with a cluster of black mana tendrils.

Four tendrils punched into Nihil and shoved him back, while a few more snaked through the air and sliced apart the white mana cords binding Morrel and Azrael. Mizuki stumbled forward, panting and shaking.

"The antidote -" Morrel started.

Mizuki coughed. "Th-thanks, Zoira. That _was_ you, wasn't it? Herbal medicine girl?"

Zoira laughed nervously. "Yeah, that was me."

"SHUT UP!" Nihil barked. He threw a handful of purple flame that Mizuki and Zoira only narrowly dodged. The flames cleanly erased a wide swath of ground.

Through the cover of the flames, Nihil charged. His metal fist knocked Mizuki aside, and he delivered a kick that sent Morrel sprawling.

Nihil towered over everyone, his chrome skull face leering. "Give it up," he thundered. "This is getting pathetic. Do you see this?" He ran a hand over his battered chest. "The blessings of Phyrexia! I have been made _compleat!_ Even having hope of victory is a sin against me. I can't even stand to watch."

Morrel groaned, clutching his sore stomach as he lay on the dry ground. _Is he right? These Phyrexians... are they unstoppable? If Nihil is any indication..._

He felt hope flicker and sputter inside him like a candle in rain.

Nihil stalked toward Mizuki. "You, Kamigawa brat," he barked. "You're an interesting one. This time, I'll take you back to Lumengrid Tower and have you thoroughly examined. Jin-Gitaxias would _love_ to see what secrets your curse hides."

Mizuki scrambled helplessly away from Nihil. "N... no. Don't," she moaned.

Morrel clawed at the ground in white-hot fury. "Don't touch her," he breathed harshly. He didn't care if Nihil didn't hear him. "Get... away!"

Nihil's hand reached down to seize Mizuki -

In a flash, Azrael placed himself between Nihil and Mizuki, his body shaking with fatigue, sweat and dirt streaked on his princely features. Wordlessly, he drew back his fist and delivered one last punch.

The sound of caving metal filled the battlefield as Nihil reeled back from the blow. "Azrael!" Nihil snapped. "So, you want to die first? Fine!" He knocked Azrael to the ground once again and raised a foot to crush the red-haired man's skull.

Zoira's phoenix swooped in and spat out another fireball, right at Nihil's wounded chest. Sparks and flame blasted from the wound, and Nihil roared in agony as the phoenix glided safely away.

 _This... is it!_ Morrel watched as Nihil stumbled back toward him, closer by the second.

Morrel drew the last of his blue-green-white mana and infused it into his muscles. He felt like his very bones were about to snap, his mind throbbing with pain, but he couldn't stop. He staggered to his feet and focused on the blue-green mana.

Time slowed down around Morrel, and he forced himself forward, wearily confronting Nihil head-to-head. He saw that both Azrael's punch and the phoenix's flames had finally blasted open a hole in Nihil's chest, revealing chrome ribs, muscle, and tubes of oil. And some noxious machinery that clanked and whirred in place of human organs.

Grimly, surely, Morrel reached into Nihil's chest, gripped a thick tube of oil connected to the main component, and unscrewed it.

At once, the tube popped off and wriggled everywhere from the pressure of its contents. Morrel stumbled back as oil spouted through the air, and the time dilation spell wore off a second later.

Nihil shrieked and scrabbled at his chest hole, staring down at the loose tube. He sank to his knees, his shoulders slumping, his white mana eyes dimming. "You... child!" Nihil spat. "What have you done?"

Then, Morrel felt a hand clap his shoulder.

"L-let me," Mizuki said with a cough as she limped past him.

Morrel sank into a sitting position and nodded. "Go ahead."

Mizuki tossed her hair, knelt in front of Nihil, and held her cursed hand in his chest cavity. "Guess what?" she leered at him. "You lose, asshole."

Black mana charged on Mizuki's fingertip, the ball of concentrated power swelling in Nihil's chest.

Nihil opened his mouth to say something.

Mizuki's spell fired.

A cone of black mana enveloped Nihil from the inside out, surging up and away from Mizuki. Bits of chrome, muscle, and oil were sent blasting through the air. When the spell faded and the dust settled down, only a long, smoking gouge was left in the ground. No sign of Nihil.

Nihil's distinct metallic mana aura was suddenly lifted like a weight. The very air seemed lighter, purer.

Morrel half-dragged himself to Mizuki. "You... Mizuki... that was..."

"Amazing?" Mizuki said with a smile, forcing herself to sit. She panted for breath. "You flatter me. Thanks for getting him all vulnerable for me. Bastard had it coming."

Morrel smiled. "He sure did."

Zoira hobbled toward the others, her phoenix perched on her outstretched arm. "Azrael," she said sharply. "Those kids there... we all risked everything to stop Nihil. And you. The Multiverse owes them a huge debt, and you do, too."

Azrael coughed and got to his feet. He warily contemplated Zoira. "What are you asking of me?" he wheezed.

"Shut down the Sphaera Vitae," Zoira demanded. "Now. I'll coerce you by force if I must. But I need you to do it now."

Azrael's shoulders sagged. "My people... Kaida... why do you think, Zoira, that I worked so hard to reassemble -"

Tears filled Zoira's eyes. "I know what it's like to lose someone," she admitted. She glanced at Veldor's remains. "And on my home plane, Zendikar. I've lost friends and family. But using your Sphaera... it'll only make it worse. The Sphaera will misfire and damage all the planes surrounding it, Azrael. I _know_ it."

"How could you _know_ it?" Azrael asked wearily.

Zoira drew the small, silver memory capsule from her utility belt and tossed it to Azrael. "View it. I would have given it to you earlier, but, you know, you were mad and violent at the time."

Clearly stunned, Azrael caught the capsule and activated it.

Everything that came next was a blur to Morrel's exhausted eyes and mind. Azrael openly wept once he finished with the memory capsule, and he allowed Zoira and her phoenix to escort him to the temple base. Morrel watched silently with Mizuki as Azrael brought the Sphaera Vitae into the open, the melon-sized quartz ball glowing with countless colors. Azrael performed some ritual, and the Sphaera Vitae dimmed to mundane quarts. Then, with another quick spell, Azrael dissolved it into dust that was promptly mized into the dust on the wind.

"I don't know where I'll go now, or what I'll do," Azrael told Zoira. "But you'll always be able to find me in the AEther. If other walkers choose to uphold the Planeswalker Code, they'll be satisfied that I'm no threat to the Multiverse and its people."

Zoira nodded and, to Morrel and Mizuki's amazement, threw herself onto Azrael and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Th-that won't be necessary," Azrael sputtered.

Zoira broke from him, her phoenix cawing happily. "Still felt good, though." She wiped her eyes and dispelled her phoenix. "Then this is good-bye."

Azrael bowed his head. "It is. Be well, Zoira. And you both..." He turned to Morrel and Mizuki. "Strong and brave beyond your years. Don't forget what a gift that is."

Morrel nodded. "My thanks."

In a flash of blue and black mana, Azrael was gone into the AEther.

Zoira trudged over to Veldor's remains. "I'll get him to Esper," she said, her voice choked. "H-his cousin, Olivia... she'll be notified. And Rohkan, too... he gave his life for us. We'll give him a burial here on Dominaria, I suppose."

"Yeah. We owe him," Mizuki said. "Never thought we'd fight with him."

Zoira managed a watery smile. "Mizuki, your arm..."

"Oh!" Mizuki held out her left arm. Her skin, black and scaly from Haijin-no-Imarai's curse, started to smoothen out, the pitch-black tone slowly fading. Her claw-like nails shrank back into her fingers.

Morrel's stomach churned. He reached out to Mizuki. "Quickly!"

"Yeah. To Bant." Mizuki took Morrel's hand, screwed up her face in concentration, and summoned her planeswalking gate.

It was Morrel's last sight on Dominaria.

*o*o*o*o*

The ongoing chaos and clashes of the conflux war occupied Morrel's mind and body sooner than he expected.

As soon as Mizuki deposited him at the front gates of Akrasa castle, she disappeared again, and court medics rushed to Morrel's side, delivering him to the medical wing. The warm, familiar Bant sun glowed in the sky past a few white clouds. Aven soldiers glided on thermals, and a trio of leotau-mounted knights patrolled nearby. Their shining armor clanked.

Then, when Morrel was back in top shape, he found himself back with Yerkel the rhox and his big brother Raphael, bursting with stories of the Multiverse. The castle of Haijin-no-Imari, the giants of Lorwyn, the cruel Voldaren family estate, the scarred Qal Sisma mountains... Morrel's brother and friend reeled at the revelations. It was bittersweet, though, telling them all this. Morrel would never see any of it again. Or Zoira's kind face. Or hear Veldor's paternal guidance delivered in his clipped, clinical speech.

It was Bant life as Morrel knew it. He marched onto the frontlines with Yerkel and Raphael against the scheming necromancers of Grixis, the barbarian tribes of Jund, and the relentless golems and rogues of Esper. At least the Nayans kept a respectful distance from Bant. The elves of that shard-world seemed to hold the Bantians in high esteem. Thank the angels.

It took surprisingly little time for all those stories to feel like a distant dream, something ludicrous and faraway.

"Whew." Morrel shut the wooden door to his room in the warriors' wing late one evening, hanging up his white battlemage robe and running a hand over his face. Another exhausting day, chasing the stragglers of a battle against Jund viashino and their human allies. Morrel wolfed down a late dinner and changed into his simple sleepwear, peeking out his window for a moment at the still, starlit castle grounds. All seemed well from here. How deceiving that was.

Morrel snuffed out the wall-mounted torches and gratefully settled into bed, willing himself to sleep. He heard crickets chirp outside as he started to drift off. He must have started dreaming, because he vaguely heard light footsteps and a weird, muted clicking. Odd.

"Hey. Nice evening, huh?"

 _What..._ Morrel snapped his eyes open and squinted in the starlight. He jolted when he saw a familar, dark-haired girl standing in the middle of his room, the door ajar behind her.

"Did you pick the lock?" Morrel sputtered.

Mizuki beamed. "Sorry. Kinda had to. You don't mind, right?"

Morrel huffed. "Guess I don't. Look, Mizuki, I -"

"Hush." Mizuki motioned for Morrel to stay still, then clamored onto the bed with him. She straddled his chest. "I missed you, you know."

Morrel nodded. He could see that Mizuki wore a sleeveless, light blue shirt and skintight, knee-length cloth pants. She was barefoot, like when he had first met her.

"You've been... well, I hope?" Morrel started awkwardly. "And Zoira?"

"We'll talk about it some other time," Mizuki told him, beaming. "Just for tonight, though, I wanted to thank you for _everything_ you've done for me. I... I'm finally at peace, you see. No curse. No more fighting. I'll find a better life, figure something out."

"That's wonderful. You -"

"Hey." Mizuki pressed a finger to Morrel's lips. "Shut up already, okay? You're so chatty."

Morrel nodded again, heart thumping in his chest.

Mizuki casually removed her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, then unhooked her bra and discarded that, too. She panted eagerly and leaned forward, pressing her lips against Morrel's. Morrel could taste the anticipation, and he quickly tore off his nightshirt.

"That's more like it." Mizuki ran a finger playfully down Morrel's bare chest, then sat up, her dark hair barely touching the top of her bare breasts. Her smile broadened. "Listen up, Morrel. Tonight, I'm all yours, and you're all mine."

 **END.**


End file.
